Quest To Be The Best
by UpbeatButNegative
Summary: Red. A name that has connotations of a fiery passion. At a young age, Red's drive for adventure and battling ignited after watching many action-packed battles on TV. That alone won't be enough to take him to the top, though, for danger lurks around every turn. However, with childhood friend Leaf and a certain yellow mouse by his side, Red may reach the peak of that mountain.
1. Prologue

**I own no Pokemon characters. Credits to Game Freak.**

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**-Prologue: Welcome to the World of Pokemon!-**

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"Hello there!"

A graying man greeted a class of young children with open arms. Knowing who he was, thanks to their parents, nearly all of them sprang from their seats and rushed over to see him, face to face. Some of them tugged the sides of the man's white lab coat, but luckily for him, no one messed with his lilac shirt, which was tucked neatly in his beige trousers.

"Yes, it's so nice to meet you all," he said with a chuckle, before ushering everyone back to their seats. "You're all probably aware, but my name is Professor Samuel Oak. I'm sure your parents would refer to me as 'Professor Oak' or 'Professor', but feel free to just call me 'Oak'."

The six year olds all liked this Oak guy already. He seemed so casual and friendly around them all, despite his high position. Their usual teacher insisted on them calling her 'Miss'. She caught a cold, though, so she couldn't make it today. With no other teacher available to take her place, Professor Oak volunteered to fill in for her.

The Professor reached into his lab coat pocket for a Poke Ball, a round capsule that was red on top and white at the bottom. He pressed the circular button at the middle of the ball to enlarge it. The children around him looked on in awe, yet they knew what would happen, thanks to seeing their parents do it often.

"As you must know, this world is inhabited far and wide by the creatures we call 'Pokemon'," Professor Oak said, before lightly throwing the Poke Ball upwards. It opened up, sending a red beam of light out in the front of the classroom. Nearly everyone let out 'oohs' and 'aahs' as the light morphed into a bird. The light itself faded away, but an actual bird remained.

It was so large, its head reached up to Professor Oak's shoulder. A red and yellow crest stretched out of its head and reached the floor. Its plumage was brown with a cream underbelly and its beak and legs were pink.

"Pidgeot, my boy. Please say hello to everybody," Oak said to his very first Pokemon companion with a smile. Pidgeot hollered cheerfully to the little humans in front of him.

A brown haired girl at the front rose from her seat and walked up to the avian. Shyly, she petted the bird, who let out a content 'purr'.

"Well, it seems that my friend's taken a liking to you," Oak told the girl.

"R-Really?" As she began to stroke Pidgeot's crest, she couldn't resist the urge to smile.

"He's a very social one, always ready to greet new people he meets," the Professor said. "Anyway, for some people, Pokemon are pets, kept for company or protection. Of course, the Pokemon must be willing to stay with the person, while the person must be willing to take care of the Pokemon. But that doesn't just apply with those kinds of people. Others battle Pokemon with each other. There must be trust between Trainer and Pokemon, in order for them to perform to the best of their ability."

Definitely more interesting than learning numbers, no one could deny.

"As for me, I study and research Pokemon."

"Re...search?" the girl currently next to Pidgeot repeated slowly. The word was new to her, as it was to the other students.

"That's right," Oak replied. "Pokemon are such mysterious creatures. We don't know everything about them. Pokemon Professors want to find out what they're truly like, how they truly act. Myself, I'm most particularly interested in the relationship between Pokemon and humans, how they treat each other. But enough about me. I should get to know a bit about you all."

He looked around the class, eager to pick someone to kick things off. Some of the children immediately shot their hands up, but others were less than confident. As Professor Oak looked around, he heard thumping next to him. He turned around to see the same girl jumping up and down with her hand raised.

"Oh, alright," Oak chuckled. "Why don't you introduce yourself to me?"

"Of course!" she chirped. "My name's Leaf. Nice to meet you!"

"Why, thank you, Leaf," Professor Oak said with a smile. "Now, would you like to tell me one thing about yourself?"

"Well, I really like your Pokemon!" Leaf chimed, ruffling Pidgeot's crest. The bird responded by nuzzling his face against the girl's.

The Professor laughed heartily. "And Pidgeot really likes you, too!" He then turned around, his eyes meeting with those of a boy in the front row. "How about you, young man?"

"Well... My name's Red," the boy answered shyly. He placed a hand on his mouth and cleared his throat, then managed a smile for the Professor. "Daddy named me Red because he wanted me to be like a fire."

"Oh ho! And do you what it means to be 'like a fire', Red?"

"No... But Daddy says it's a good thing."

"Indeed it is," Professor Oak said. "Your father wants you to be strong and he wants everyone to know you for it."

"Cool...!"

Next up was a girl beside Red. The blonde was a rather small girl, even for her age.

"Uh... My name's... Yellow," she said in a more timid voice than Red's. There was a slight pause, as she shied away from the Professor's line of sight briefly. "I like-"

Before Yellow could finish, however, the swinging of a door interrupted her.

"Teach, sorry that I'm late!"

And there was the voice of a newcomer. Well, latecomer. Everyone turned to see a spiky brown haired boy, who noticed the adult in the room and widened his brown eyes.

"G-Gramps!?"

"Oh, you're in this class, too?" Professor Oak chuckled as he turned to speak to the other children. "I'm sure you all know this young man. Of course, I would, too, being his grandfather. He's... Uh..."

Within seconds, he placed a finger on his chin and looked upwards in deep thought.

"Uh... Huh... What was his name again?"

"Wha...?" The child's mouth was agape. How could Professor Oak, one of the greatest minds in the Kanto region, forget his own grandson's name!? "Gramps, it's Bl-"

"Oh, I remember now! His name is Gary!"

"It's Blue!" 'Gary' whined, like the six year old that he was. "You know, like the sky!?"

"Huh... Can't the sky sometimes be orange? Perhaps-"

"No, I mean-"

"Please, don't interrupt your grandfather when he's speaking, Orange."

As the other kids laughed away, Blue buried his head in his hands.

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**One night, three years later...**

Pallet Town was always a calm, peaceful place to live.

Maybe it was the fresh grass that never seemed to lose its green, since it was always well looked after. Maybe it was the fact that it was a relatively small town, resulting in not as much noise.

Pallet Town wasn't a metropolis. It wasn't like Saffron City, where the hustle and bustle of busy workers seemed to be the only thing that existed. Neither was it an exotic island town, like Cinnabar Island. Neither was it a busy port, like Vermilion City. However, since it was near an ocean route, there were a couple of boats that took passengers to and from Cinnabar Island. The people of Pallet Town found their hometown to be a nice, cosy one to live in and they wouldn't give it up for the world. Because it was so small compared to places like Saffron, people could truly get to know each other, being relatively short distances from each other. As such, there was a sense of unity.

This was especially apparent in a particular group of four friends.

Tonight was 'sleepover night' for said group. The stars adorned the night sky and seemed to twinkle even brighter than before. Well, that was what it appeared, anyway, to the blonde of the group.

For a moment, Yellow could have sworn she saw a streak of light speed by. She couldn't hide the shocked look on her face. Her friend beside her took notice of Yellow's reaction. After realizing what that was all about, Leaf turned around and excitedly called for her other friends, the two boys of the group. One of them was interested in what Leaf had to say, while the other just wanted to get back to pummeling him at his video game.

"Look up there!" the brunette said, pointing to the night sky. Just like that, another streak of light passed by.

"A shooting star?" Red was surprised at what he saw. It was quite a sight. "Mom told me about these."

"They say that if you make a wish before it disappears, it will come true," Yellow spoke softly. With that said, she clasped her hands, closed her eyes and began to make a wish.

Blue was not convinced. "Ha ha! Come on, Yellow! What are you, five? That's just a bunch of garbage!"

"Aw, Blue...! Don't be like that!" Leaf playfully pouted. "Who knows? You might be proven wrong!" She then brought her hands together and closed her eyes.

Blue rolled his eyes. "I really don't get this," he said as he turned away. "You agree with me, right, Red?"

As the spiky haired boy sat down and picked up his controller, he was expecting his best friend to do the same. He didn't. In fact, Red didn't say a word.

"Red?"

He turned back around, but couldn't believe what he was seeing. Red, too, clasped his hands and was making a wish!

Blue sighed.

At the same time, as much as he didn't believe in the whole 'wish upon a star' junk, he didn't want to be the odd one out. Besides, if Red was willing to go along with what the girls were doing, there must have been some sense in it. Reluctantly, Blue got up and slouched against the wall. After glancing to the open window next to him, he closed his eyes and made his wish.

Not that it would come true by just asking for it, though... He knew that he would have to work to make his wish a reality.

Afterwards, everyone opened their eyes. Blue was about to ask what everyone wished for, but realized that part of the superstition was that if you told someone your wish, it wouldn't come true. There was a brief moment of silence, before Red and Blue jumped right back to their video game. Leaf and Yellow sat next to each other and watched as the plumber and hedgehog on screen resumed their brawl. The exchanges seemed endless and the number of matches piled up, until there was a knock on the door.

"Red! It's time for you and your friends to get to bed!"

"Oh... Yes, Mom! Just a minute!"

Red's mother had been pretty lenient with his bedtime, considering that he invited his friends over. Not to mention, it wasn't a school night, which meant he and his friends were allowed extra playtime. However, all good things had to come to an end.

After wrapping up the last match, Red switched off the console and TV, while Leaf went to turn out the lights. As much as Blue wanted to continue playing, he supposed that there would be plenty of time tomorrow. Yellow stretched her arms and gave a long yawn before tucking herself in her sleeping bag, just as the other three did (well, Red had the pleasure of tucking into his actual bed).

"Hey, guys?" It was Leaf who spoke up, getting everyone else's attention.

"Is everything alright?" Yellow asked.

Leaf smiled. "I'm fine. I was just wondering something. When we become old enough to get starter Pokemon... What will you choose?"

There was silence, as the others were thinking of what to say. No one had ever asked them that question before, mainly because they still had to wait a couple more years until Professor Oak could give them a starter Pokemon. But what were their personalities? What were they capable of?

"Can we only pick from Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle?" Blue asked.

"I think so," Leaf answered. "Why? Don't you like any of them?"

"Oh, I'd be fine with any of them! It's just... Gramps keeps going on about how there's so many Pokemon out there, so why can't one of them be my first? Besides, big and strong Pokemon are just waiting to be given to me!"

Red shook his head. "Really, Blue... Maybe those particular three are easiest for us to look after."

"I like all three of them," Yellow said with a smile.

"Me, too," Red replied. "But I also wonder what other Pokemon are like."

"Oh, we'll meet them eventually," Leaf assured him. "And we'll all be friends with them, just like we're friends with each other!" The last part made the other three feel warm and fuzzy inside. Leave it to Leaf to assure them that they'd be friends forever!

"Well, that much is true," Red said. "Even when we leave on our journeys, we won't forget each other, will we?"

"Oh, I hope not," Yellow responded.

Blue grinned. "Same. You guys would be lost without me."

The hushed discussion continued. Stories and ideas were bounced around here and there and the four were trying so hard to keep a quiet tone. That just goes to show how close they were to each other.

And they had no plans to fall out with each other.

Fast forward another two years and you'll find that they still shared the same bond, even with their Pokemon journeys underway.

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**Author's Notes**

Hello and welcome, one and all, to my novelization of Pokemon: FireRed and LeafGreen!

Pokemon is one of my favorite series. Ever. In fact, that's the main reason why I wanted to write this novelization! I remember the first time I played Pokemon LeafGreen and took a look at Venusaur on the box art. Naturally, I gravitated towards Bulbasaur when it came to picking a starter. Venusaur actually became my favorite Pokemon for a while, until I played the other games and grew appreciation for other Pokemon. The big guy's still in my top ten, but nine others have trumped it since the days of old. Perhaps I've have a top ten list in one of my later A/Ns...

Actually, in the 'general info' section of my profile, you can find out what my current favorite Pokemon is. Believe me. It's not likely to change! :)

As for this project... Boy, is it looking to be a mighty one!

Months back, I had a few ideas swirling in my head as to how I'd go about it, some of which I put on paper (well, more like 'typed on screen', but you know what I mean). I decided to mix elements from FRLG, Yellow, Origins and the regular anime. There's also an idea from the Adventures/Special manga (that idea being one of the four characters introduced in this prologue), as well as a few of my own ideas.

I've worked pretty hard on this one, so I sincerely hope you enjoy it. Like I said, it's gonna be a long one, so buckle up for the ride!

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**-Have a great day, week, month, whatever, and stay upbeat, y'all!-**


	2. Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins

**I own no Pokemon characters. Credits to Game Freak.**

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**-Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins-**

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A calm wind breezed over Pallet Town. The Pidgey were singing and the sun flared in the sky, shining its rays on the town. A boy of eleven years old stepped out of his house and opened his eyes to greet the morning atmosphere. He smiled as he adjusted his red cap and brushed his jacket of the same color, which was worn closed and over a black undershirt. He brushed down his blue jeans, before walking along the path.

Before he left, his mother insisted on him dragging a large luggage case with him, assuring him that 'everything he needed' would be in it. One look inside told Red that his mother was going overboard. Instead of the luggage case, he took a smaller backpack. After all, he needed to pack sensibly! Besides, where Red was headed, he didn't need extra clothing (not yet, anyway).

And where was he headed?

None other than Professor Oak's laboratory, to get his first Pokemon!

Once he arrived, his excitement kicked into overdrive.

"This is it," Red said to himself. "My first Pokemon!" Unable to contain his anticipation, he knocked on the door rapidly. Within a second, he realized that he probably made a scene out of himself and withdrew his hand behind his back. He looked down, despite no one outside having heard him, and laughed sheepishly. "Woah, calm down, Red. I mean, you are-"

"Talking to yourself?" a cocky voice said for him. Red looked upwards. The boy in front of him kept his trademark outfit: his dark blue shirt and his purple pants. Recently, he began wearing a purple wristband on each wrist and a chain with a water droplet ornament around his neck. It seemed that he hadn't grown out of his wild hairstyle.

"B-Blue?"

"You must be here to get your first Pokemon from Gramps, right?"

"Yeah. Professor Oak wouldn't happen to be around, would he?"

"Nope. Not here," Blue told him as he shook his head. "One of his assistants told me that he's doing a bit of fieldwork. She said that he'll be back shortly."

Red tilted his head. "And you're waiting here in the lab? Why not go out and look for him?"

"By the time I got here, Gramps was already gone. I might as well stick around until he gets back."

"Well, I'm going to find him myself." Before Red turned around to leave, he asked Blue, "Where did the assistant say that he was doing his fieldwork?"

"Didn't tell me," Blue said, shrugging his shoulders. "I wouldn't know myself. Maybe Route 1?"

As Red walked on the gravel path, he couldn't help but wonder where Professor Oak went off to. Did he simply forget that he promised to give Red and Blue their first Pokemon? The Professor had a tendency to forget things, after all. It was a thing that happened with age.

_'Wait. He's not that old, is he?'_

Before Red took Blue's word and check Route 1, he decided to search around Pallet Town. After minutes of walking and searching, he couldn't find the Professor. He stood at the end of the path that led to Route 1, when he heard the loud sound of wings beating. He turned around and crept up to a signpost. Standing behind, he looked forward and saw a Pidgeot battling what looked like a yellow mouse like Pokemon. They were rare around these parts, so naturally, he wondered what one was doing here. Questions were put aside, however, when electricity sparked from the mouse's cheeks.

_'Man, that looks like such a cool Pokemon! I'd love to- Wait, isn't that...?'_

Behind the Pidgeot was his owner: Professor Oak! From his lab coat pocket, he took out a Poke Ball and tossed it at the mouse Pokemon, turning it into red light and shutting itself with the Pokemon in it.

One shake.

Two shakes.

Three shakes.

Then, the ball glowed red.

"Ha ha, I still got it!" the Professor laughed proudly, while Pidgeot hollered victoriously.

He walked up to the Poke Ball he threw, picked it up from the ground and looked at it.

"Now, what was this little guy doing here?" he wondered aloud. "You usually find them in Viridian Forest or in power plants. Oh well. Now that it's been caught, it won't cause a ruckus." He took out another Poke Ball and told Pidgeot to return. A red beam of light shot out of the second ball and engulfed the large bird, before it retracted and faded inside.

As Professor Oak made his way back to his lab in Pallet Town, he couldn't help but see a boy, one that was familiar to him, sidled up next to a signpost. He resisted the urge to chuckle and called the boy over.

"Red, my boy! Were you playing a good old game of hide and seek with Blue again? Ah, to be young again..."

"Hide and...? No, Professor, that's not what I was doing," Red said, wanting to make his point. "I was actually trying to find you." He noticed Professor Oak tilt his head in confusion. "You said that today would be the day that I got my first Pokemon, remember?"

"Did I?" The Professor placed a finger on his chin and looked upwards, as if waiting for the thought to drop by from above. "Oh, of course you did!" Professor Oak clicked his fingers and beamed at the boy in front of him. "In that case, I can't keep you waiting any longer! Come on, then!"

He gestured for Red to follow him and at once, he did so. However, the walk soon turned into a sprint, for he couldn't contain his excitement any longer.

"Oh, slow down, Red!" Professor Oak called out to him, hopelessly trying to keep up.

The boy stopped for a moment. "Oh, sorry, Professor! I couldn't help myself for a moment."

Instead of running, the two walked to the lab. After arriving, Professor Oak reached into his pocket for some keys. With a twist of a key and the push on the door, it was open. He allowed Red in first, then followed him inside.

A voice called out from the living room. "There you are, Gramps! I'm fed up of waiting!"

"Blue?" A quizzical expression was on the Professor's face for a second, but he quickly remembered what he was doing in the lab. "Ah, of course! I was going to leave Red here and come to get you, but it seems that you've made it here by yourself. That makes things easier for me." He gestured for his grandson and his best friend to follow him upstairs and they did so.

When Red and Blue were younger, they sometimes hung out in the lab. The lower floor was where they spent most of their time. They used to play with their Pokemon action figures in the living room, which was also where they ate. Other times, they would do homework in the study room or just read to their leisure. Neither of them saw much of what went on in the upper floor, however, but they were about to find out today.

It was clear to Red and Blue that the upper floor of Oak's lab was where the actual research occurred. The entire floor was only one room, but that provided plenty of space for the equipment. On the left were machines for Pokemon testing, while the right side housed the computer, which the Professor used to record his research. It also doubled as a method of communicating with Professors from other regions via video chat. Next to the computer was the 'transfer machine', much like those used in Pokemon Centers. At the back of the room were shelves of Poke Balls, presumably containing Pokemon. At the center of the room was a round, table like machine. The three circular compartments were green, red and blue

"Normally, you would have the choice of three special Pokemon," the Professor told them, seeing that they had their eyes on the machine. "Bulbasaur, the Grass and Poison type, Charmander, the Fire type, and Squirtle, the Water type." A sigh escaped him. "Unfortunately, all three of them have been taken and I won't be able to procure another set of starter Pokemon in quite some time."

"That's alright, Gramps!" Blue assured him. "You promised us special Pokemon, right?"

Professor Oak's frown was immediate turned upside down. "Oh, indeed I did!" he said to his grandson. "Normally, kids your age would have to wait until another set of starter Pokemon come, so they can make their choice. However, as I've known you and Red for so long, I'm willing to make exceptions. I have a very special Pokemon reserved for one of you. The other, however, will have to make another choice."

"Well, what Pokemon did you have in mind?" Blue asked.

Professor Oak walked over to the shelves of Poke Balls. He looked around for the Pokemon he reserved and picked up the correct ball.

"This is Eevee," he said. "It's only a Normal type Pokemon, but it can 'evolve' into one of many different types of Pokemon, which allows it to fit with any environ-"

"Mine!"

Without hesitation, Blue swiped the Poke Ball, claiming Eevee as his own. Not that it bugged Red much. After all, the first choice presented to you might not always be the best. Besides, Red knew what Pokemon he wanted.

"Professor, that Pokemon you caught at Route 1... I want that one!"

"Oh? But it was just recently caught! It's not as tame as it could be. Not yet, anyway. Are you sure ab-"

"Uh huh! You can leave it up to me to look after it."

"Well, if you're sure..." Oak reached into his pocket for the Poke Ball that contained the Pokemon he caught earlier. He looked at the ball (which Red noted had a lightning insignia at the top), wished the trainer luck and handed it over to him.

"Thank you, Professor," Red said. "Now, let's see my Pokemon!" With that, he tossed his new Poke Ball upwards. It opened up and sent a beam of light in front of him. The light reached the floor and faded away, leaving behind a yellow mouse Pokemon.

Evidently, this one was a male, since it didn't have a V shaped notch at the end of its tail. The base of his tail was brown, just like the two stripes across his back. The tail itself shook as the Pokemon span and looked around, trying to get accustomed to his new environment. His black tipped ears twitched at the sound of his new trainer's voice of approval.

The Pokemon looked at the group of humans curiously. "Pika?"

"Its name is Pikachu," Oak told Red.

"Pikachu," the boy repeated. He knelt down before the Pokemon and offered his hand. "Uh, hey, Pikachu... I'm Red, y-your new trainer." His voice shook slightly.

Blue could't help but stifle a laugh. His friend was making such a fool of himself. He wouldn't have been that nervous around his new Eevee!

Red closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again. He seemed to have a more confident outlook this time.

"What say you and I travel the region and work together to become the strongest we can be?"

Pikachu looked at the eleven year old's face, then turned to his hand he offered, then back to his face. He was never faced with such an opportunity before himself, the opportunity to explore the world and not be stuck in the confines of the forest he once lived in. In all honesty, Pikachu wanted a human partner to travel with. Perhaps he could learn a thing or two from them, while the human could provide for him.

Pikachu smiled. He took a tiny step back, then made a running jump to latch onto Red's shoulder.

"I-I'm excited to meet you, too!" Red also smiled, seeing his new partner climb on top of his shoulder and stand on it with his two feet. "Woah, you've got nice balance, there, buddy."

"Now that you've gotten acquainted with your Pokemon, Red, I have something to give you and Blue," Oak said.

He walked over to one of the tables on the side for two rectangular devices, one in red and the other in blue, though he was interrupted by the sounds of knocking on the door and a girl calling out his name in a sing song voice.

"Ah, the girls must be back with that package!" Oak realized.

"Oh, I'll get the door," Red told him. The boy made his way downstairs, Pikachu following behind.

The door opened, revealing two girls standing in front. For a second, one of them was playing with her hair, which her white hat rested on top of. She wore a baby blue sleeveless shirt, as well as a red skirt that stretched halfway down her thighs. Her blue socks reached halfway up her calves and her shoes matched with the rest of her outfit. She carried a satchel, which seemed to be made by the same company that made Red's backpack. In this instance, she also held a box that was wrapped in brown paper.

"Oh, hiya, Red!" Leaf said, beaming and waving.

"Hey, Leaf," Red responded in kind. He noticed the other girl, who was in a yellow blouse and navy blue pants, remove her straw hat to reveal shoulder length blonde hair. He waved at his petite friend. "Hey, Yellow."

"Good morning, Red," she replied with a warm smile.

Before the girls were let into the lab, Pikachu appeared from behind Red's leg. "Pika?" He looked at Leaf and Yellow and turned to Red with a questioning look on his face.

Red realized what he was asking. "Oh, I should introduce you to them! These are two of my closest friends, Leaf and Yellow," he said, pointing to each respective girl.

"Is that the Pokemon that Oak gave you as your starter?" Leaf asked Red, eyeing the little creature. After she got her answer in the form of a nod, she reached down to scoop up the little creature. "Aww! He's adorable!"

Yellow wasn't so sure of Leaf's action. "Should you really be picking up Red's Pokemon like that?" she asked as she picked up the package Leaf dropped.

"Relax, Yellow. The little guy likes me!" Leaf wasn't wrong, Red assumed. Pikachu did seem content in her arms.

"So, you had something for Professor Oak?" Red asked, looking at the package in Yellow's hands.

The blonde nodded. "The Professor asked us to pick it up for him in Viridian City."

"I see." Red backed up and motioned for the two to enter.

As they made their way upstairs, Red asked Leaf and Yellow which Pokemon they picked to be their starter. Apparently, by the time they arrived, Bulbasaur had already been taken, so they were left with a choice between the remaining two. After a long time of thinking, Leaf picked Squirtle (fitting for her 'bubbly' personality), which left Yellow with Charmander. The girls talked about how their adventures have been so far and brought up the fact that they each caught another Pokemon. They talked so much, no one even realized that they were at the upper floor until Blue spoke up.

"C'mon, Red," he said. "Stop talking and come get your Pokedex."

"Pokedex?"

"It's an invention of mine," Professor Oak said. "It's a high-tech encyclopedia on the many Pokemon in our world."

"That's awesome!" Red remarked. "How does it work?"

Oak pressed a small button on the left side of the Pokedex, making a second screen pop out. "This little gizmo stores information in its memory, but is able to record even more." He demonstrated by pointing the Pokedex at Red's Pikachu and pressing the large white button at the middle of the Poke Ball insignia.

**"Pikachu: the Mouse Pokemon.**

**It has small electric sacs on both of its cheeks. If threatened, it looses electric charges from those sacs. When several Pikachu gather, their electricity could build and cause lightning storms."**

"Information in its memory can be accessed immediately by searching through the list of Pokemon," Oak said, showing Red how to scroll through said list, by pressing on the buttons on the right side of the device. "Of course, you could point and click again. New data can be recorded through observation, but catching a Pokemon guarantees detailed information, which is why I also want you give you these."

The Professor walked over to the table where the Pokedexes once were and picked up five empty Poke Balls. He came back to Red and handed them and the Pokedex to him.

"These..." the boy mused. "You just throw one at a Pokemon to catch it, right?"

"Yes, but it would be much easier to weaken the wild Pokemon in battle first."

"Got it. Thank you so much, Professor!"After he placed his Poke Balls in his backpack, he saw Blue take out his own Pokedex model and scan the ball that contained Eevee.

The spiky haired boy grinned. "You can also check out a Pokemon's ability and moves. No cheating, though. You can only scan that info on wild Pokemon or your own."

**"Eevee, Male**

**Type: Normal**

**Ability: Adaptability**

**Known Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip"**

Curious as to what Pikachu was capable of so far, Red decided to do the same.

**"Pikachu, Male**

**Type: Electric**

**Ability: Static**

**Known Moves: Thunder Shock, Growl"**

"This Pokedex is really amazing." Red looked at the device he was given and smiled. "I'll take good care of it, Professor!"

"I'm sure you will," the Professor said. "I understand that you and Blue want to become the best Pokemon Trainer?"

"Yeah, the very best!" Blue answered, pumping a fist as he did so.

"In that case, you should use the Pokedex as often as you can. You never know when you'll need the extra information in battle!"

"Speaking of which..." Blue turned from the Professor and faced Red, with a certain look in his eyes. "Hey, we have our first Pokemon now."

"I think I know what that means."

"Same. Red, let's check out our Pokemon! I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!"

"You're on!"

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Pallet Town's a homely little place, isn't it? It's one of my favorite 'starting towns' in Pokemon, mainly because of the music. It just screams the town's slogan: 'Shades of your journey await!'. One thing the Pokemon games rarely fail at is the music. The town themes are so atmospheric, while the battle themes are heart pumping and energetic!

Weirdly, Pallet Town's theme becomes slower and slower as the generations go by. Am I just hearing things? You should listen to all four versions in order, if you want to find out yourself.

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**-Have a great day, week, month, whatever, and stay upbeat, y'all!-**


	3. Chapter 2: The First Step

**I own no Pokemon characters. Credits to Game Freak.**

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**-Chapter 2: The First Step-**

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There was a large field of grass outside the lab that Red and Blue agreed to have their battle on. It was the perfect stage for battle, since there were no bumps on the field and not too many obstacles that would get in the way. Red and Blue stood opposite each other, with Leaf, Yellow and Professor Oak watching from a nearby tree.

"Now, just to make things clear, you do know how a Pokemon battle works, right?" the Professor asked the two boys.

Blue looked at his grandfather. "Duh! It's exactly as it says on the tin. Trainers send out Pokemon to battle it out against the other trainer's Pokemon."

"When a Pokemon is knocked out, they're considered unable to battle," Red added. "If all of one trainer's Pokemon are down, the other trainer wins the battle."

"And the winner of this battle will be me!" Blue smirked, tossing a Poke Ball upwards. "Show that rat what you've got, Eevee!"

From the red beam of light, a brown fox like Pokemon appeared before Blue. In general, Eevee were said across Kanto to be very adorable. People loved their long ears, their bushy tails and their cream colored furry collars. Red took out his Pokedex and scanned Blue's first Pokemon.

**"Eevee: the Evolution Pokemon.**

**It is rarely found in the wild. Eevee's genetic code is irregular, so it can evolve in a number of different ways depending on stimuli. One such example is exposure to radiation from an elemental stone."**

This particular Eevee's eyes gleamed in anticipation, ready to battle, and jumped back and forth to warm himself up. He yipped at Pikachu, as if to challenge him. Pikachu gladly accepted, stepping in front of Red and getting into a battle ready position.

"You ready, Pikachu?" Red said to his partner, who called out in excitement. "Let's do this, then."

Professor Oak stepped forward and raised both arms. "Very well. This will be a one on one battle between Red's Pikachu and Blue's Eevee. Whoever knocks the other out will win. Battle..." He swung his arms downward. "...begin!"

"Use Thunder Shock!"

"Don't just stand around, Eevee! Get out of there!"

The red pouches on Pikachu's cheeks sparked with electricity. With a loud cry, he leaped upwards and multiple bolts of yellow lightning surged out of his body. Eevee yelped at the sight of the light show being emitted, but upon orders, he jumped backwards. He avoided one bolt, then another, then another, until the Thunder Shock attack dissipated. Gravity caught Pikachu and he descended to the ground.

Blue saw his chance. "Now, use Tackle!"

Eevee made a running start. He picked up speed and was about to lunge at Pikachu, who just landed on his two feet.

"Pikachu, dodge it!"

Eevee propelled forward, but Pikachu sidestepped out of the way just in time. Knowing that Eevee was still healthy, he didn't breathe a sigh of relief yet.

"Thunder Shock!"

Once again, Pikachu's cheeks sparked and he released lightning bolts at the Evolution Pokemon. Eevee was about to jump, but got zapped by the Electric type attack. The attack was held onto for a few seconds, before it faded away. Despite taking a direct hit from Thunder Shock, Eevee mustered enough strength to shake his whole body, as if to shake away the damage. He yipped challengingly at Pikachu again.

"We won't let one attack bring us down, Eevee." Blue grinned, pointing a finger at the Mouse Pokemon. "Use Tackle again!"

"Thunder Shock again, Pikachu!" Red called out.

Eevee pounced back into action, quite literally, lunging at Pikachu to pin him down. At the same time, sparks flew from Pikachu's cheeks and the Mouse Pokemon himself stood his ground. When Eevee was near, he unleashed Thunder Shock once more, zapping his opponent once more. When the lightning bolts faded, Pikachu jumped back, giving himself room to act on a counter reaction.

"Eevee!" Blue shouted for his Pokemon, who just lied there, whimpering in the pain that the second attack inflicted.

"Red is not letting up," Yellow commented, seeing the condition Eevee was in.

"Just two Thunder Shocks did a lot of damage to Eevee," Leaf added.

"As expected, coming from an Electric type Pokemon like Pikachu," Professor Oak said. Leaf turned to him curiously. "When a Pokemon uses an attack that is the same type as it is, the attack becomes a bit stronger."

"They do?" Leaf took out a Poke Ball and looked at it. "So, when my Squirtle uses a move like Bubble or Water Gun, the move becomes stronger because the move and the Pokemon are both Water type?"

Professor Oak closed his eyes and smiled. "Correct." Meanwhile, tackles were made and lightning bolts were flung, with neither Pokemon backing down. Red and Blue's first battle was surely a fierce one.

Blue flashed a grin, pointing a finger at Pikachu. "Enough messing around. Use Tail Whip!"

Eevee burst forward at the Mouse Pokemon, but slowed down abruptly. He span around as he jumped, his tail facing his opponent. In a cute manner, he shook the bushy tail at Pikachu's face.

"What?" Red mouthed. Pikachu's expression on his face was the same as his trainer's own confusion.

"Tackle!"

Eevee let out a triumphant yip as he tackled Pikachu. The move actually connected this time, though it seemed to do more damage than Red anticipated, even for Pikachu's meager defensive capabilities. Pikachu tumbled in the air, but couldn't bring out his hands or feet and support him from his fall.

"Pikachu, are you okay?" Red asked his partner, who still managed to get up after taking such a blow. Before he could call out an attack, however, Blue ordered Eevee to use Tackle once more. The move was dodged, but when Eevee stopped moving in one direction, he suddenly burst back in the other direction! The Mouse Pokemon was caught off guard and was slammed into the ground, less able to get up than last time.

"What's going on?" Leaf asked the Professor worriedly. "Both Pikachu and Eevee took two attacks, but Pikachu looks worse off!"

"Blue's Eevee has the ability Adaptability. It powers up moves of the same type as Eevee's, the Normal type in this case, even further than usual." Oak analyzed the situation, watching Pikachu trying to get up. "Let's not forget Tail Whip, which catches the opponent off guard and leaves them vulnerable to the next attack."

"Neither of them look so good," Yellow said, clasping her hands together.

Professor Oak nodded. "If either of them takes one more hit, that could end the battle."

Blue smirked. "What now, Red? You're gonna lose!"

Red looked at Eevee, then turned to Pikachu, who eventually managed to stand again. For such inexperienced Pokemon, they sure packed a punch. From the looks of things (the limb clutching and the slight panting), Professor Oak was right. One more hit and Pikachu was done for. However, one more hit and Eevee was done' too. So, that didn't stop Red from taking one more shot.

"We won't give up!" he declared. "Right, Pikachu?"

"Pi... Pika!"

"That's it!" Red cheered him on. "Let's show those two what we can do!"

"Come at us, bro!" Blue goaded his friend. "Tail Whip, Eevee!"

Eevee shot forward again, but couldn't pull off the move again because of Red's next command.

"Pikachu, jump back and use Growl!"

Before Eevee could get close enough, Pikachu flipped back. The fox like Pokemon let out a low growl through his teeth and lunged forward again. Meanwhile, his opponent took a deep breath. Just as Eevee drew near, Pikachu opened wide and yelled as loud as he could. Translucent shockwaves were shot out of his mouth and soared across Eevee, staggering him.

"Use Thunder Shock one more time!"

Upon command, Pikachu stood firmly. He gave a loud cry and released one more wave of lightning bolts at Eevee, who yelled in pain at the impact. This time, the Evolution Pokemon couldn't muster up enough energy to stand up after the attack faded away. His limbs couldn't hold him any longer. They just stopped working. As such, Eevee fell on the ground, his eyes now swirled. Blue called for him, but there was no response, no movement.

Eevee was unconscious and unable to battle.

"N-No way...!" At that moment, the realization hit Blue. His first battle, one that he predicted that he would win, ended in his first defeat. Disappointed, he recalled his Eevee. Meanwhile, Pikachu stumbled over to Red. Red knelt in front of his Pokemon and embraced him, congratulating him on a well fought battle.

Leaf skipped over to the two battlers. "You guys did great out there!"

"Yes. For your first battle, you've really shown what you're capable of," the Professor agreed with a smile. "Excellent job, Red and Pikachu, for winning. Blue, you and Eevee put up a good fight, too."

"Heh heh. Thanks, Professor," Red chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "You, too, Leaf."

Blue crossed his arms. "Pssh...! Must have beginner's luck or something," he muttered.

Yellow raised an eyebrow. "Aren't we all beginners, Blue?"

"Well, I won't be for long! I'll just have Eevee battle to toughen him up."

Having heard that, Professor Oak closed his eyes and nodded. "Of course. Both Eevee and Pikachu are quite young. They can only grow with experience."

"In that case, I better give Eevee as much of it as possible! I'll smell you all later!" He let a cocky laugh escape his mouth before turning to leave. The pace at which he left was amazing.

Yellow turned to everyone else. "Well, I guess I should be going, too."

Leaf gave her a pat on the shoulder and a wink. "Don't let people push you around too much. And do keep in touch with us, okay?"

"Of course. I'll call you if I need anything." The blonde placed her straw hat on top of her head and adjusted it. "I'll see you all soon. Goodbye!" With one final wave, Yellow was off. Everyone wished her luck as she headed further along the path, until she disappeared into the distance.

Leaf turned to Red. "Well, since it's just us two left, wanna travel together?"

Red had the same thing in mind. "I'd like that."

"Really? That's great!"

Professor Oak chuckled to himself. Seeing Red and Leaf agree to travel together reminded him of when he first left home and his friend asked to travel with him. Blue may have been the Professor's grandson, but Red was like a second one. With both boys gone, things would surely not be the same in Pallet Town. But now wasn't the time to reminisce. He had work to do!

"Well, now that you have a travelling partner, I'm sure that you want to get going now, Red."

"Well, I promised Mom that I should show her my starter Pokemon before I left, but I'll heading out after that."

"Alright, then. Take care of yourself. You, too, Leaf." With a wave, Professor Oak headed back to his lab.

"Don't overwork yourself!" Leaf told him.

* * *

"Hi, Mom! We're back!" Red called out as he entered his house.

"I'm in the kitchen, dear!"

Red made his way over to where his mother was, with Leaf and Pikachu following close behind. There, Red's mother had just finished washing the dishes. With a satisfied look on her face, she slipped off her rubber gloves, turning to the three and giving them a big smile.

"Oh, hi, Leaf!" she greeted her. "I didn't expect to see you here. Would you like a snack?"

Leaf beamed back. "Oh, no, I'm good. I already ate before coming here."

Pikachu looked on inquisitively. Having noticed this, Red smiled and assured his Pokemon that his mother was a nice person. Almost immediately, she giggled and knelt down to eye level with Pikachu.

"Hello, cutie," she cooed. "You must be Red's first Pokemon, aren't you?"

"Pika Pika..." He could see that Red's mother was a friendly one, especially from the way she began to rub his head.

Suddenly, a gurgling sound croaked. After hearing Pikachu laugh sheepishly, it wasn't difficult to realize that he was hungry! At that moment, Red opened the food cabinet to look for something his Pokemon could eat before leaving. The sheer amount of foodstuffs that were kept inside fascinated Pikachu. He didn't have a clue what any of the cans, packets and bottles contained, but the fact that his human partner had easy access to food at all made him jealous. His eyes scanned it all, before stopping at a bottle containing a red substance.

Pikachu pointed to the bottle. "Chu."

"Ketchup?" Red raised an eyebrow. "Do Pokemon even like ketchup?" He looked at Leaf and his mother, the latter of whom shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, Professor Oak did say that most Pokemon can eat food that's meant for humans," the former said. "I don't know if it tastes good to them, though."

Red still had doubts, but he reached for the bottle of ketchup anyway. He took Pikachu's hand and poured a bit of the condiment on it. Pikachu noticed that it was the same shade of red as the apples he used to eat in the forest. After a moment, he licked it.

His eyes widened in joy. "Pikaaa!"

"I think he's taken a liking to ketchup!" Red's mother said, laughing. "Red, I think you should take that bottle with you!"

He and Leaf nodded in agreement, while Pikachu went ahead and poured more ketchup in his mouth.

"Now, just to make sure before you leave. Are you sure that you have everything you need, dear?"

"Yes, Mom. It's all in my backpack." He had to chuckle after remembering her reaction to the bag's meager size. "I have to pack sensibly, after all. Carrying too much will only slow me down."

She let out a sigh. "That's what your father said, too," she said. "He even jokes in his letters that he wouldn't be where he is today if he took my advice!"

The two allowed themselves to share in their laughter. They both knew that Red's father was a go-getter, always one to take risks. However, with risk comes consequence. Red's father knew that. When he left on his journey, he told his wife that he knew what he was getting himself into. He didn't expect everything to be fine and dandy. Neither did Red. That didn't change how much Red's mother missed his father and how much she would miss her son.

With that in mind, she embraced him. "Oh, Red... I knew this day would come soon. All boys leave home someday, after all, but..."

"Mom, I'll be careful," Red assured her, before the two pulled away. "I'll become a Trainer that you and Dad will be proud of!"

Leaf grinned, placing an arm over Red's shoulder. "And you can bet that I'll be there to take care of him!"

"Of course," the older woman chuckled. "Red's become a lot more responsible over the years, but someone has to be there to keep him in check, just in case he forgets to change his-"

"Uh, I won't forget!" His face flushed. His mother's old habits were kicking in again.

"Aw, what do I have to worry about?" Red's mother beamed as she pinched Red's cheek lightly. "My baby's become independent!"

"Y-Yeah..." Red muttered. He tried to break free, resulting in everyone else laughing. After the laughter died down, he gave one last peck on the cheek to his mother. "Well, we should be off now." He took out Pikachu's Poke Ball and pointed it at him. "Pikachu, return."

A beam shot out, which Pikachu surprisingly dodged!

"Return!" Red tried again, but to no avail. "Do you... not like Poke Balls, Pikachu?"

The Mouse Pokemon shook his head. "Ka."

Leaf looked intrigued. "Strange... Maybe you should keep him out here with you, Red." Pikachu nodded vigorously. "He seems to agree with me!"

"Heh heh. Well, if it's what Pikachu wants, it's what Pikachu will get. Alright, Mom. We'll really be going now."

"Good luck, Red. Make sure you keep Pikachu nice and healthy, okay?"

"Yes, Mom."

"And Leaf, make sure Red keeps himself nice and healthy, too!"

"I'll do what I can," Leaf replied, as she, Red and Pikachu turned to leave the kitchen. "We'll see you soon!"

"Good luck out there!"

* * *

Red stood in front of the path that would lead him out of his hometown. "This is it," he said to himself. With one more step, Red would be exposed to the outside world.

"Nervous?" Leaf nudged him with her elbow, noticing that he glanced behind himself.

Red chuckled in response. "A little..."

"Hey, that's why I'm here," she assured him. "We'll take that first step together, okay?"

Red nodded and signaled that he was ready for his friend's countdown, but not before making sure that Pikachu was ready for that first step as well.

"Three... Two... One!"

As if all three of them were synchronized, they lifted their right foot and lowered it to the ground. They did the same with their left.

Red gave one last look back at Pallet Town before following Leaf.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Ah, the first rival battle... All you really have to do is spam Tackle, Scratch or Thunder Shock. You should have picked up the Potion from your PC, so if you've taken a lot of damage (_big '_if', by the way), you can use it. Other than that, the only way you can lose the battle is if you get extremely unlucky. If you're doing a Nuzlocke run of a Kanto game and you lose this battle... I'm sorry. It's not your day. XD

I took the battle outside because it made more sense to me. In fact, in an earlier draft of this chapter, I had Red tell Blue that the battle shouldn't be held inside the lab, with Blue agreeing on the grounds that they shouldn't break the Professor's stuff. Being an earlygame battle, all they did was attack, attack and attack. Perhaps I could have developed it some, but I wanted to leave room for growth, to reflect on how far Red will have come on his journey. Besides, Pikachu and Eevee are only Lv 5 at this point in the game. They don't have many moves to make use of.

Speaking of the moves, before anyone asks, I won't include a four move limit in this novelization. That system makes you think carefully about what moves to give your Pokemon in the games and you could argue that if authors implement in their fics, it forces them to be more creative with the few moves the Pokemon have. I feel that it's too restrictive and that there's only so much you can do with four moves. Besides, Pokemon shouldn't suddenly forget how to use certain moves. It should be a longer, more gradual process, hence why I'll be taking the anime's route when it comes to Pokemon's moves. There won't be a move limit, but some moves will eventually fall into disuse, mainly because they'll become redundant (for example, Slash is better than Scratch in every way).

This will mean that Pokemon won't be using twenty moves in one battle lategame! XD However, there'll be one or two exceptions _very_ late into the novelization...

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**-Have a great day, week, month, whatever, and stay upbeat, y'all!-**


	4. Chapter 3: On The Road

**I own no Pokemon characters. Credits to Game Freak.**

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**-Chapter 3: On The Road-**

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Red and Pikachu were greeted with a tranquil scene, set by clear skies, green grass and the occasional chirping of bird Pokemon. There were plenty of trees dotted along the entire route. No, Route 1 wasn't as well looked after as Pallet Town (or other towns, for that matter), being an area where wild Pokemon thrived, but there wasn't too big of a difference between it and Red's hometown. He decided that he could get used to this type of environment.

"Nice, huh?" Leaf spoke up. "Route 1 looks like a perfect first step on anyone's journey, doesn't it?"

Red nodded as he kept up with her, taking in the surroundings. For a while, all that he did with Leaf was refresh his memory on anything Pokemon related with her. One thing that they particularly enjoyed was testing each other on 'type matchups' and the various 'status conditions' that Pokemon could suffer. However, the silences in between gave them the chance to dwell in their own thoughts.

"So, Red, you said that you wanted to be a great Pokemon Trainer?" Leaf asked her friend.

He nodded. "I told you about my father, didn't I?"

"Oh, was he your inspiration?" She seemed particularly interested. Even Pikachu, whose ears twitched to the sound of Red's answer, looked up, intrigued.

"Yeah. He's always sending letters to me and Mom about how he's doing and some of them talk about the battles he's had recently. He likes to remind us that it's the bond between him and his Pokemon that push them to do better. For him."

Leaf could have sworn that she saw Red's eyes shine for a moment.

"That's why I decided to become a trainer," he continued. "Dad treats his Pokemon like they're a part of the family. You could say that he motivated me." He then knelt in front of Pikachu and tenderly rubbed his head. Leaf found the gesture rather cute and was glad that she had a friend like Red, someone who would treat their Pokemon nicely. "But what about you, Leaf?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. You know about what I want out of my journey, but what about you? Is there a particular goal you have in mind?"

Leaf looked down slightly, a finger placed on her chin. She did have one goal in mind, but it was very different from Red's. How weird would it sound?

"You look like you're thinking hard about it," Red noted. "Do you not know what you want yet?"

"Oh no, I do."

"Well?"

"It's a little different from your goal and Blue's, but... I want to help out with Pokemon research."

Red nodded slowly. He gestured for her to continue, as if he could see that there was a reason why.

"The Professor's always telling us that Pokemon are such 'mysterious creatures'," Leaf told him. "He's gotten me interested in solving those mysteries and finding out what Pokemon are really like." She then gave a smile to Red's Pikachu. "But no matter how much we find out, something new will come up and defy everything. That only means we didn't get to the bottom of things."

"Is it... the thrill of discovering something new that motivates you?" Red asked slowly.

"Uh huh. I wanted to go on my journey to explore and discover new things. Maybe I could give some new findings to the Professor!"

"I'm sure that he'd appreciate the help." Red gave an encouraging smile to his friend. "Who knows? Maybe you'll become an actual Professor yourself!"

"'Professor Leaf Green'," she mused. "I like the sound of that. Oh, I almost forgot!" She reached into her satchel for a Poke Ball. "I wanted to introduce you and Pikachu to my Squirtle."

"Oh, I forgot to ask you about it! Go ahead."

"Alright, Leo. Time to meet some new friends!"

With a toss upwards, the ball opened, revealing the blue turtle Pokemon, Squirtle. Its body was encased in a shell, brown on top and pale yellow on the bottom. Excited to see the new face, Red took out his Pokedex and scanned the Pokemon.

**"Squirtle: the Tiny Turtle Pokemon.**

**After birth, a Squirtle's back swells and hardens, forming a shell. Its head, limbs and tail can retract into it. Whether in or out of its shell, it can squirt out water from its mouth with vigorous force."**

Red noted that the Squirtle's tail curled inward and that it slowly waved back and forth.

"Squirtle!" Leo greeted the new faces in his bubbly voice and a wave of his hand.

"Leo, this is Red," Leaf said, gesturing to her human friend. Moving her hand downward at the yellow Pokemon next to him, she added, "This is Pikachu."

Leo trotted over to Pikachu and offered his hand, which was gladly taken and shaken. Red knelt down and patted the Squirtle's head. The Tiny Turtle Pokemon beamed at the gesture, then turned to call for Pikachu and chase it. Pikachu laughed with his new friend as he made his escape on his all fours.

"Well, looks like Leo is hitting it off with Pikachu," Red remarked.

"They definitely have the right idea," Leaf agreed with a smile. With a mischievous look on her face, she suddenly pounced at Red and placed her palm on his arm. "Tag! You're it!"

At the same time, Leo pinned Pikachu on the ground and placed a hand on his ear, taking off with his trainer afterwards. The Mouse Pokemon smirked. If they wanted to play like that, he and Red would surely take them on.

"Let's get 'em, Pikachu!"

"Pika!"

All thoughts were cast aside as trainer and Pokemon sprung into action and chase after Leaf and Leo. Laughter rang out as the four ran around Route 1, the wind rushing past their faces. Leo was on the move, leaving distance between himself and Pikachu. The gap was slowly being closed, however, as Pikachu picked up speed. Leo noticed this and tried with all his might to get away. Unfortunately for him, the Mouse Pokemon's pace was too much. Pikachu lunged for the Squirtle and tapped his shell on the way down, passing the title of 'it' to him. Leo wasn't willing to let him off easily, so he immediately sprung into action and chased him.

Meanwhile, Red was on the move to gain on Leaf. As he got closer and closer, he stretched his hand in front of him. Leaf noticed this as she turned around and yelped at the fear of being caught. She jumped at the sight of Red's hand jutting out even further and picked up the pace.

"Hey, get back here!" Red groaned.

"C'mon, Red! Step it up!" Leaf taunted him.

His mouth made a small 'o' shape, as if telling her not to say such things, though his eyes signaled that he was just getting started. So far, he was saving his energy by not running as fast as he could. Seeing Leaf get away, Red decided not to hold back anymore and burst forward with as much speed as he could. However, back in the day, he wasn't the most athletic person in his class. Then again, neither was Leaf. In fact, it was generally agreed that the two were on the same level.

The chase continued, but Red was stopped by a rustling sound. He looked around for the source of the noise.

"Red! What's wrong?" Leaf called out from behind.

Red turned back around to see Leaf with Pikachu and Leo, who also wondered what was up. "Oh, I thought I heard something." As if responding to what he said, there was rustling once more. Red turned around once more. As he faced a patch of tall grass, he saw it shake. "That's where that sound came from," he murmured.

Then, from the patch of grass came two large toothed rodents! They were purple and they were hissy.

**"Rattata: the Mouse Pokemon," **Red's Pokedex read aloud.

**"It bites with its long and sharp fangs when it attacks. They grow continuously, so it gnaws on hard things to whittle them down. Rattata itself is small, quick and a common sight in many places."**

"They don't look so friendly." Red stared the duo of Rattata down, who hissed even louder.

One of them bent down, then lunged forward to attack!

"P-Pikachu! Hit it with Thunder Shock!"

The Electric type Pokemon released lightning bolts from his body, just like those in his first battle, and struck the incoming Rattata with it. At the same time, the other Rattata hissed and jumped at Leo.

"Use Withdraw!" Leaf called out.

Just as he was told, Leo tucked his head, tail and all of his limbs into his brown shell. The Rattata that was aiming for him rammed its body into the shell, which didn't budge at all.

"Tackle!"

Then, still in his shell, Leo jumped forward, slamming into the rat. It was sent flying towards the first Rattata, who tried to shake off the damage that Thunder Shock did, and crashed into it. The two snarled at each other, presumably for getting in each other's way, but they both lunged for Pikachu and Leo afterwards.

"Thunder Shock again!"

"Bubble!"

Pikachu released lightning bolts once again, while Leo opened his mouth and shot out several clear bubbles from his mouth. Though the attacks were used simultaneously, they didn't make contact with each other and hit their targets. Neither of the Rattata could handle a power packed Thunder Shock or multiple speedy bubbles, thus they went down.

"Some groups of Rattata may be protective of their 'territory', but you don't need to worry about them too much, Red," Leaf said to him, returning Leo into his Poke Ball. "They don't pack that big of a punch, even against beginners."

Red made a mental note of that. Leaf waved for him to keep up with her once more and he did just that. If anymore packs of Rattata jumped in to attack, he knew that they would have no problems. The rest of the journey through Route 1 went uninterrupted, for the most part. There were a few more run-ins with Rattata, but they weren't much of a challenge. Along the way, Red and Leaf talked on and on. Well, in hindsight, it was Leaf who did most of the talking. Red didn't feel a need to interject.

In time, the two came to the end of Route 1. Up ahead, buildings, buildings as far as the eye could see, stood.

* * *

Viridian City was dubbed 'the city of evergreen' and was the closest city to the prestigious Indigo Plateau, where trainers with eight Gym Badges could taken on the Elite Four for a shot at becoming Pokemon Champion. As such, the citizens hailed their city as the gateway to said challenge. Even the first welcome sign that Red and Leaf came across read 'Welcome to Viridian City, your last stop before Indigo Plateau'.

"I guess my journey will literally 'circle' Kanto," Red mused, tracing a finger around the region on his town map.

"Isn't it great?" Leaf peered over Red's shoulder to take a look at the map. "That means a lot of traveling for us! In fact, I should show you around Viridian City. Yellow and I came here to pick up that package for the Professor, so I know my way around."

Red smiled. "Alright. Lead the way."

Just a little walk away from the welcome sign was the Pokemon Center, one of many across Kanto. Along with providing rooms for trainers to rest for the night, the massive, red roofed buildings were also where Pokemon could be taken to be healed. However, Red and Leaf's Pokemon were perfectly fine, so they didn't need the services yet. They passed right of the Center and came across the next door Poke Mart, a blue roofed building. Like the Pokemon Centers, the Marts were common across Kanto, though they were much smaller in size. They were convenience stores that not only sold common goods to regular people, but also supplies for trainers (mainly different levels of potions, status healing items and Poke Balls). Red and Leaf went in and bought a few potions and antidotes.

Afterwards, the two continued their stroll through Viridian City, taking a path past the Mart to see another important building. It was after a short walk when the two stepped under the shadows of another important building, a very grand building at that. To signify its importance, its roof was as brown as bare earth.

"I'm sure you'll love what this building is," Leaf said, gesturing to it.

Red stared at it in awe. "What is this?"

"It's the Pokemon Gym!"

"Wow... I'm at a Gym already! After beating the Gym Leader there, you get an official Gym Badge!"

"That's right. As far as I'm aware, you need eight of them to be allowed at Indigo Plateau."

"Oh, I know that," Red assured his friend. "I should get to training! I wanna fight the Leader!"

But before Red could take off, Leaf had to stop him. "Um, I hate to tell you this, but..." She looked at him nervously. "The Leader's not here right now, so the Gym's closed."

"W-What?"

"Sorry, Red," Leaf said regretfully. "Apparently, no one's seen him for a long time. He's rarely there at all!"

The two left the Gym, but Red couldn't help but look back at it in disappointment. He would have to come back another time, though if what Leaf said was true and the Viridian Gym Leader really did slack off a lot, he was afraid that his journey would grind to a halt later on. However, after talking with the local residents, he did find out that there was a Gym in the next city!

Being close to Pallet Town, there were some rookie trainers that were scattered across Viridian City. At the same time, being close to Indigo Plateau, there were many experienced Trainers around, too. To please both crowds, both a Pokemon Academy and a Trainer House were built.

"Of course, the Viridian Pokemon Academy teachers new trainers about the basics of Pokemon battling," Leaf told Red. "I'm sure you won't need it, though. Besides, you have me to help you!"

Red couldn't help but laugh. "I know. I'm more comfortable learning with friends, anyway. Besides, it's all about applying what you've learned, right?"

"You got that right! This brings us to the next door Trainer House. Well, all people do there is battle, battle and battle."

"Hmm... Maybe I'll stop by later on. The trainers there must be pretty tough."

* * *

North of Viridian City was the path that led to Route 2. It didn't look too different from Route 1, though there was more bird chirping going on because of the greater abundance of Pidgey than Rattata. Red and Leaf walked on, taking note of the patches of grass that clustered in groups. At the end of the visible distance was a gate, which separated the route from Viridian Forest. Past Viridian Forest was Pewter City, where a Gym was situated. As Red made his way forward, he took some time to train Pikachu against the more rowdy wild Pokemon. Leaf decided to do the same and sent out her Squirtle to help out with Pikachu's training, along with a recently caught Pokemon: 'Chaos' the Spearow.

The whole gang took a few steps forward, but they stopped to a squelching sound from a patch of tall grass. From the foliage came a green caterpillar like creature with yellow ring shaped markings on its body. The bright red osmeterium (the antenna like protrusion on its head) shook and it stared at Red with its extremely round eyes. Not knowing what this creature was or what it was doing, he turned to his Pokedex for some information.

**"Caterpie: the Worm Pokemon.**

**Its short feet are tipped with suction pads, enabling it to tirelessly climb slopes and walls. When Caterpie grows, it sheds its green skin, covers itself in silk and becomes a cocoon."**

For some reason, the Caterpie just stood there. This was it. This was Red's chance. Slowly, keeping his eye on the Worm Pokemon, he took out an empty Poke Ball. Still at that snail's pace, he drew his arm backward. Leaf gave an intrigued look his way. It seemed like a Bug type Pokemon would be Red's first capture.

"Let's give this a try," she heard Red say. As his eyes locked with Caterpie's, they shone with confidence.

A deep breath.

"Poke Ball, go!"

It soared directly at the Worm Pokemon and hit it on the head. As it opened, Caterpie was engulfed in a red light, which swirled in. The Poke Ball closed and thudded on the grassy ground.

One shake.

Leaf, Pikachu and Leo laid their eyes on the ball.

Two shakes.

"Come on..." Red muttered.

Three shakes.

Red and Leaf let out a gasp. Could it be?

The Poke Ball glowed briefly. Caterpie had been caught!

Red's face broke into a grin. He laughed ecstatically as he picked up the ball. "Yes! I did it!" In excitement, he leaped upwards and held it high. "I caught my first Pokemon!"

Pikachu jumped in, yipping with glee. "Pi Pikachu!"

"That was great, Red!" Leaf chipped in. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Leaf!" Red replied before taking a look at the Poke Ball that contained Caterpie. He scanned it with the Pokedex, though he told himself that he wouldn't mind what his new friend's capabilities were.

**"Caterpie, Male**

**Type: Bug**

**Ability: Shield Dust**

**Known Moves: Tackle, String Shot"**

"Check it out, Pikachu," Red said to him. "We have a new friend!"

Pikachu pointed at the ball containing said friend. "Pika?"

"Oh, you want to get to know him right now?" The Mouse Pokemon gave a nod. "You know what? I think Caterpie will like you. Caterpie, come on out!"

With a light toss upward, the ball opened, revealing the Worm Pokemon. Caterpie turned around, gazing at his new trainer.

"Caaah?" His head tilted as Red offered him his arm.

"Uh, hi," Red greeted him, still feeling rather awkward, though not as much as he did when he first greeted Pikachu. "I'm Red, your new trainer."

Caterpie took a tiny slither back. He was a lot more nervous about seeing the new face than the new face himself. He took a slight glance behind him, seeing Pikachu's smile. Another look around and there was Leaf and Leo, greeting him as if he was one of the family. To the side was Chaos. Although the Spearow didn't crack a smile, she gave an acknowledging nod.

"Nervous?" Red spoke up, getting Caterpie's attention. "To be honest, I'm a little nervous, too, but that's one thing we have in common! Heh heh..."

The Worm Pokemon turned to the side once more, but turned back to Red. Ever so slowly.

"Go on," Leaf said. "Red's a nice guy. Trust me. I would know!"

"Cah..." Caterpie's eyes were fixed on Red. As they remained so, he slithered forward. He climbed up Red's arm and onto his shoulder, letting out a delighted squeal.

"Thanks for trusting me, Caterpie."

"Caah! Caah!" Caterpie chirped, giving a firm nod.

A laugh escaped Leaf's mouth as she walked up and rubbed the Pokemon's head. "Look at you. You're so cute, little guy."

Caterpie gave his equivalent of a smile, then gave the expression to the rest of the Pokemon around him. Extra attention was given to Pikachu, since they followed the same trainer. Pikachu returned the attention by giving him a thumbs up.

Red turned his head to Leaf. "You know, I think I have a good feeling about Caterpie."

"So do I, Red. So do I."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Leaf's the only one who's going to nickname her Pokemon, by the way. The others don't feel that it's necessary. But, go ahead. Guess the references in Leaf's nicknames. 'Leo' is pretty obvious, but you guys will never get 'Chaos'! XD

At first, I wanted to write the optional rival battle at Route 22. However, I didn't feel that it was important in the long run and it didn't turn out too interesting when I was done. Ultimately, I scrapped it. This chapter was originally going to end with Blue challenging Red to a rematch, with the battle taking place next chapter, along with Red catching Caterpie afterwards. Since there's about nine rival battles in FR/LG, I figured that cutting a couple of them out wouldn't hurt too much. But that's what I think. _Your_ mileage may vary.

* * *

**-Have a great day, week, month, whatever, and stay upbeat, y'all!-**


	5. Chapter 4: The Forest Maze

**I own no Pokemon characters. Credits to Game Freak.**

* * *

**-Chapter 4: The Forest Maze-**

* * *

Soon after Caterpie got acquainted with his new friends, it was decided that real progress would be made into Viridian Forest. After walking for a while, the gang was near a gate, which connected this part of Route 2 to the forest. Inside, a gatekeeper was drinking a cup of coffee. He opened his eyes to see the people and Pokemon who entered.

"So, you kids want entrance to Viridian Forest?" he asked them, pointing in the direction of said forest. They gave a nod. "If you don't have antidotes, you'll have to turn back. Pokemon getting poisoned is a constant problem out there."

"Oh, we'll be fine," Leaf assured him, revealing an antidote she bought earlier. Red followed suit and showed him another one.

The gatekeeper inspected the orange spray bottles, to make sure that they weren't counterfeits. He confirmed that they were the real things and allowed them through.

"Be careful out there," he told the pair.

* * *

Viridian Forest was cooler than Red was used to.

Literally, 'cooler', as in lower temperatures.

This was because only small amounts of sunlight were able to filter through the treetops. Because of an abundance of such, the late afternoon sky was blocked for the most part, giving the forest a gloomier atmosphere than the routes before it. After Red and Leaf stepped foot in Viridian Forest, they saw the path split in three directions: left, right and straight ahead.

"What do you think, Leaf?" Red asked him. "Which way?"

"Well…" She licked a finger, then held it up.

"Um, does the wind always blow in the correct direction here?" Red raised an eyebrow.

Leaf laughed. "Of course not, silly! Let's just head right."

Red let out a small sigh, then followed her.

The conditions made the place perfect for common bug Pokemon to make their home. Caterpie were a example, being much more common in Viridian Forest than in the nearby routes. The arrival of other inhabitants was signaled by the sound of rustling grass from the side. Said inhabitants were rust colored larva Pokemon with pink noses and feet. They pointed the stingers on their heads and the barbs on their tails in hostility. Were they all like that? Red turned to his Pokedex to find out.

**"Weedle: the Hairy Bug Pokemon.**

**It is often found eating leaves in forests and grasslands. The stinger on a Weedle's head is around two inches long and can inject poison."**

Well, it didn't say anything about hostility, but it did confirm the source of the poison problem that the gatekeeper mentioned. Both Weedle let out their equivalent of a growl ("Weee…") and their stingers glowed purple. Everyone except Chaos stepped back fearfully. The Spearow scowled, not being as afraid as the others were.

"They're getting ready to use Poison Sting, Red!" Leaf warned him.

On cue, the two Weedle fired swarms of purple darts from their stingers. Red and Leaf ducked, while their Pokemon jumped back and away.

"It's more dangerous than it normally is," the girl added. "Weedle are Bug and Poison type, so Poison moves, like Poison Sting, are powered up!"

"What's that called, same type atta-" Red was interrupted by having to dodge another barrage of purple darts.

The Weedle slithered forward. "Wee… Weedle!"

Leaf returned Leo to his Poke Ball and told her Spearow to dive bomb one of the Weedle with Peck. After one attack, that Weedle fled, much to the other's frustration. As Red's Caterpie slowly backed away, he looked around in horror.

Leaf looked at Red expectantly. "Red, you have to get your Caterpie out of there!"

Her words seemed to fall on deaf ears, as Red looked at Caterpie, then turned to the remaining Weedle, then back to Caterpie. Suddenly, a light bulb lit up in the boy's mind.

"Caterpie, use String Shot!"

Caterpie shook in his suction cups, backing away even more. Weedle released Poison Sting darts at him, but just missed its mark. Caterpie curled up, frightened. The Hairy Bug Pokemon made a high pitched whirring sound, as if to mock the green Worm Pokemon for his cowardice. For a while, the curled up caterpillar remained in that state, ashamed.

Despite the situation the Worm Pokemon was in, Red looked at him encouragingly. "Caterpie, I know you can do this. Don't let those Weedle bully you! Tie them up with String Shot!"

Caterpie looked up slowly. He yelped at the sight of the Weedle taking aim, along with another Weedle that just joined the battle. He then let out what sounded like a scream, unable to take anymore. Before Poison Sting was unleashed once more, the Hairy Bug Pokemon were thrown off guard by a white, sticky string. It wrapped around their heads and their stingers, preventing them from using Poison Sting from there. As much as they squirmed about, there was no use.

"Wow, great move, Red!" Leaf cheered.

Even though the Weedle were able to use Poison Sting from their tail barbs, that didn't matter. They couldn't see where they were shooting!

"You've got this, Caterpie!" Red assured him. "Tackle!"

"Now, Chaos, use Peck!"

Caterpie charged forward with all of his might, though he seemed to be left in Chaos' dust as she shot forward. The Weedle dared to make an escape, but they couldn't see where they were going. A thud to a nearby tree told them to give up. There was a rush of wind. Then, one of the Weedle took a sharp jab to the body! Moments later, the other was sent flying quite a ways. Among themselves, they decided that they were beat, so they fled, wailing in defeat.

"That'll teach those jerks, won't it, Caterpie?" Leaf smiled, bending down to pet his friend's Pokemon. He looked away, a slight blush on his face.

Red walked up to him. "You did great, Caterpie. I told you that you could do it!"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu cheered for his Pokepal.

"Caah… Caah…"

Chaos sighed. It was just a few Weedle taken out, nothing more. However, Caterpie did toughen up before it was too late. She couldn't deny that. She gave a nod to the Worm Pokemon.

Leaf stood up. "Well, Red. We should get going before more bugs come out to get us."

"Yeah." He pointed Caterpie's Poke Ball at the Bug type. "Caterpie, take a rest for now. Return."

"You, too, Chaos."

With the two retrieved, they set out without a second thought.

Each and every path winded its way round a line of trees at some point, making the forest a natural maze. All over Kanto were signposts with 'Trainer Tips'. There were a few in Viridian Forest that talked about catching other Pokemon, but they gave information that Red knew before coming here, such as a throwing a Poke Ball to have a shot at catching a Pokemon at all and weakening a Pokemon to increase the chance of capture. Before a Trainer Tip signpost could beat Leaf to it, she told Red that it was impossible to catch a Pokemon that someone else already owned. Despite the change in atmosphere, Viridian Forest wasn't unbearable, unlike other places in Kanto. In fact, it was dotted with trainers, mainly the self proclaimed 'bug catchers'.

Eventually, the night sky was upon Red and Leaf. They thought it unwise to continue traveling at this time, so they set up a campfire. Afterwards, the two munched on roasted marshmallows, while their Pokemon were let out to mingle with each other.

As it turned out, Pikachu, Leo and Caterpie got along very well, with the latter easily warming up to the former two. Chaos? Not so much. It wasn't that she disliked the other three. She just preferred being by herself. Caterpie slithered over to the Tiny Bird Pokemon and eyed her. He squealed excitedly and motioned towards the other two. The Spearow shook her head and cawed a few times, leaving Caterpie pretty disappointed. Leo assured him that Chaos would come around sooner or later. Pikachu nodded in agreement, though Caterpie didn't pay attention, looking up at the sky instead.

The moon was shining brightly and the stars were twinkling. Such a sight amazed the young Pokemon, but he couldn't help but notice a line of silhouettes fly across the moon. Somehow, the sight intrigued him. He wanted everyone to see, the Pokemon and the trainers. Caterpie turned around, seeing Red and Leaf sitting on a log, talking. He slithered up to them.

"Caaah!"

Red looked down. There was cute little Caterpie, beckoning for his trainer to look up. He did so and Leaf followed suit a second later. Their Pikachu and Squirtle sat next to their trainers and looked up also. Even Leaf's Spearow, who stood not too far away, took a peek up. The moon truly was beautiful up there. However, there were more figures that Caterpie and everyone else noticed. Leaf realized the reason why Caterpie asked everyone to look up.

"It must be Caterpie's dream to become bigger," Leaf guessed. "He wants to grow up to be a big Butterfree, Red!"

The Worm Pokemon nodded, confirming that she was correct, but he whined as he looked down. A smile pulled along Pikachu's face. His friend was so nervous, yet he had so much potential! At least, Pikachu believed so! He walked over to the shy Pokemon and placed a hand on his back.

"Pika." His voice took on a soothing tone. "Pika pika."

"I… I think I can relate to Caterpie," Red said to Leaf. "Our goals are pretty similar, after all."

Caterpie faced his trainer. At first, he was unsure of himself, unsure of whether he was deserving of Red's kind treatment or not. However, for Red and for himself, he'd do his best for fulfill his dream! After the two made a vow to help each other, Caterpie made a small leap into his trainer's arms, making a delighted squeaking sound as he did so.

"H-Hey! I know you're happy, Caterpie, but we've got to get some sleep soon." Red pointed in the direction he and Leaf planned to travel the next day. "We have somewhere to be, but once we'll there, we'll prove to people how big and strong you've become."

"Caah!" The Worm Pokemon raised his head, this time, with a more confident look on his face.

* * *

The next morning, the group set out to make their way out of Viridian Forest.

Along the way, Red spotted something under a particular tree. Not knowing what the object was, he slowly crept up to it. It looked like a spray bottle, similar to an antidote, but the top was more rounded. Its color was different, too, being purple and gray instead of orange.

"Who would leave this behind?" Red wondered aloud, picking up the potion. He shook it to hear a liquid splash around. "It's full. Whoever left it must have done so by accident."

"It happens sometimes," Leaf said. "They won't miss it, though, will they?"

No one was around to take the potion, but Red was still reluctant in putting it in his backpack. Not only did he have a few already, there was the possibility that someone could come back for it after realizing that it was missing. At the same time, Red didn't want to run out, in case his Pokemon needed to be healed and there was no Pokemon Center nearby. He put the thought behind him as he followed Leaf once more.

The pair occasionally found themselves in patches of tall grass, where Pokemon could sneak from below and 'bug' them. The Pokemon they encountered most was a tie between Caterpie and Weedle. Luckily, they were no match for Pikachu or even Red's own Caterpie. There were even other bug catchers, most of whom challenged Red to a battle. Unfortunately for them, either they weren't so proficient in battling, or Red was too strong. A couple of them even challenged Leaf.

Her Spearow showed no mercy.

After one battle, Red was in the middle of praising his Pokemon for a job well done, when suddenly, Caterpie's entire body began to glow a dazzling white. His friends stared in awe as his body was slowly shaped to be more crescent like. A strange protrusion grew out of his back, too.

"That light..."

"Red... Caterpie must be evolving!" Leaf said in amazement.

They continued to look on, seeing the glowing Caterpie's body smooth out slowly. No longer would his new body be segmented. He also grew in height just as slowly, but it was only a slight increase. Afterwards, the white light faded. What was left was a green cocoon, whose eyes weren't as wide open as they were in his larval state.

"Wow... You really evolved, Caterpie!" Red exclaimed happily. "Now, you're one step closer to fulfilling your dream!"

The new Pokemon said nothing as his trainer took out his Pokedex.

**"Metapod: the Cocoon Pokemon.**

**It is encased in a sturdy shell, protecting its body. It is tender, so when exposed, Metapod cannot withstand a harsh attack."**

Red looked up from the device, proud of his Metapod's achievement. To his surprise, he saw Metapod's body tense, then shine for a bit. Curious, Pikachu walked up to the evolved Pokemon and knocked on him, similar to how a human would knock on a door. Red and Leaf jumped to the resulting clanging sound.

"What happened?" Red asked, inspecting Metapod. "Is this a new move or something?"

"Seems like it," Leaf responded. "It must be the move 'Harden'. From what I know, Caterpie and Weedle learn the move right after evolving."

"Do you know what it does?"

"I think it raises the Pokemon's defense."

"Neat! What do you think, Metapod? Want to see how you hold up against Pikachu?"

Metapod still said nothing, but made small hops, signaling a yes. Pikachu yipped in excitement before hopping away and making a battle stance.

"Okay, Metapod, use Harden!"

The Cocoon Pokemon's body stiffened and shined briefly.

"Now, Pikachu, get in there and give a good punch!"

Pikachu bent down, readying his fist. Upon launching himself, however, a white trail was left behind. Pikachu himself moved at a greater speed than normal, amazing Red once more.

"Pikachu must have learned another new move, too! He's moving pretty fast, don't you think, Leaf?"

"Well, that's why the attack's called 'Quick Attack'!" Leaf had to grin after seeing Red's deadpan expression.

The momentum from Quick Attack was transferred into more force on Pikachu's punch. Metapod budged, but didn't feel much pain. Red was impressed. The increased durability would surely help him in the battles to come!

There wasn't much left of Viridian Forest to cover afterwards. All that was left was a straight path to the gate, which led to the other side of Route 2. Beyond it was the location of Red's first Gym battle: Pewter City.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Ever since I started uploading 'Quest To Be The Best', I've been scrolling through the archive of Pokemon fics. This week, I noticed quite a few novelizations of the Kanto games! I also noticed some novelizations of the Hoenn games (more specifically OR/AS), but not as many. I'm actually following an Alpha Sapphire novelization by 'IcyAngels' called 'Hoenn, The Land Of Abundance'. As of May 2015, it's still in its early stages, but I enjoyed what I read so far.

Anyway, to those of you who lurk the Pokemon archive more often than me, are novelizations of the games common? We don't get so much of that over at the Sonic section. I've noticed a lot more high school fics there lately, but that probably isn't a surprise! I know for a fact that those types of fics _really _popular, for reasons I personally don't get. I'm rambling, though, so I should probably save all that for another time. I'll see you guys next chapter!

* * *

**-Have a great day, week, month, whatever, and stay upbeat, y'all!-**


	6. Chapter 5: Brock Hard Abs

**I own no Pokemon characters. Credits to Game Freak.**

* * *

**-Chapter 5: Brock Hard Abs-**

* * *

Pewter City, 'the stone gray city', was tucked between rugged mountains. It was more compact than Viridian City as a result of this. The one thing that the citizens prided themselves in were their rock gardens. In front of nearly every house and store that Red and Leaf passed by was an assortment of stones on rocky ground. They were arranged in such a way that alpines could grow. However, there was the occasional rock garden that was comprised of an arrangement of rocks surrounded by gravel that was raked into a certain pattern.

Being one of the nearest cities to Mt Moon, Pewter City was popular among explorers, collectors and scientists, most of whom could be found at the north of the city. One of the biggest landmarks in Kanto was situated there: the Pewter Museum of Science. Before taking the Gym challenge, Red and Leaf decided to make a visit. The tickets were surprisingly cheap, but the exhibits were amazing.

"Woah! Look at that, Red!"

In the middle of the ground floor, a large skeleton was displayed. Its mouth was wide open, revealing serrated fangs, and razor sharp claws jutted out of its hands, which were at the bend of each wing. Its talons were just as sharp, while its tail was tipped with an arrowhead. All of these knife-like features seemed to be pointed towards one central spot, as if the skeleton was ready to come to life, swoop down and scoop away the first victim it sees. Just looking at it gave Red, Leaf and Pikachu goosebumps!

There was a small information sign, which detailed what this Pokemon was like.

_With its large wings, Aerodactyl soared through the skies in prehistoric times. It is often thought to have been an extremely vicious carnivore, using its saw-like teeth, claws and talons to shred its prey. Interestingly enough, coprolites that are linked with Aerodactyl contain traces of not only meat, but also plant matter. Therefore, it can argued that Aerodactyl was in fact an omnivore. _

"Sounds like Aerodactyl were really strong Pokemon," Red mused. "Imagine seeing one right now..." Pikachu, too, was intrigued by the idea of an Aerodactyl flying around in the present day. Its supposed speed and strength must have made for a challenging opponent.

"Well, think about what's going on at Cinnabar Island," Leaf said, eyeing an odd looking fossil next to the Aerodactyl skeleton. It was amber in color. Remains seemed to be trapped inside it (a piece of a claw, to be specific). "They've been able to revive a few Pokemon out of fossils. If we happen to find a fossil and bring it to Cinnabar, we might have a 'Fossil Pokemon' in our hands!"

"That's awesome! But imagine the process of actually reviving the Pokemon... It must take a long time, right?"

Leaf giggled. "Of course. Science is very intricate!"

The ground floor of the museum was scattered with all sorts of fossils and remnants from prehistory. At the east wing, the main attractions were the Helix Fossil and remains of Omanyte and Omastar. Over at the west wing were the Dome Fossil and skeletons of Kabuto and Kabutops. There were other ancient Pokemon that were shown off and talked about, but not in as much as detail as the Omantye line, the Kabuto line and Aerodactyl were. Those five were native to prehistoric Kanto, so naturally, a museum in Kanto focused on them more.

The upper floor was also quite a sight. The exhibits there were about space. The majority of people at the upper floor gathered around a replica of the space shuttle that was used by the first astronauts to land on the Moon. According to some, it was made of the exact same material as the original! The other display of major interest was that of meteorites that fell from outer space. They were discovered on Mt Moon and were associated with celestial Pokemon, thus they came to be known as 'moon stones'. The ones on display were some of the first to be found in Kanto, although people from all over the world have found stones of their own. According to a few of them, some of their Pokemon have evolved via prolonged physical contact with their moon stone!

Satisfied with what they've seen, Red and Leaf decided to leave the museum. Before they stepped foot outside, however, they couldn't help but overhear a conversation that two people. They stopped and listened, but tried to make it look like they weren't being nosy. The conversation was about the Gym Leader of Pewter City, Brock. Apparently, he lost against his most recent challenger in a battle, as said challenger was able to overcome Brock's Pokemon's 'rock hard defenses'. This led Red and Leaf to the conclusion that Brock was a Rock type Gym Leader. In hindsight, it made sense, given the city's reputation with its museum and the sheer number of rock gardens. However, this discovery brought a problem to Red.

None of his Pokemon could do much damage to Rock types.

Leaf had an idea, though. "You could borrow someone else's Pokemon to use against Brock," she suggested. "Maybe a certain someone's Squirtle...?"

Red was silent for a moment. Slowly, he shook his head. "As much as I appreciate your offer, Leaf, I... I can't take it. It's my battle, after all. It just wouldn't feel right to use someone else's Pokemon only for that purpose."

Leaf understood where Red was coming from. If he used her Squirtle in the Gym battle, the victory wouldn't be as rewarding, simply because he felt that it wouldn't be his own victory if he didn't use his own Pokemon. With that in mind, she smiled and nodded, before following Red as he headed for the Pewter Gym.

* * *

Upon taking a step inside, neither Red nor Leaf could help but think that they were teleported to the inside of a cave! Though it was well lit, the few stalagmites here and there gave off an ominous feel and they protruded out of a stone floor. In the middle of the large room were the outlines of the battlefield. On the right was a sort of board. There were also seats on the left, which Leaf assumed were for spectators of the upcoming battle. Her guess was correct, as children of all ages filed in. Seeing Red take one end of the battlefield, she rushed over to take a seat.

A figure stood opposite where Red stood.

"So, you're here." The teenager wore a brown jacket with an orange collar. Under it was a green undershirt. Perhaps his most prominent feature was his tanned skin. "I'm Brock, Pewter City's Gym Leader! My rock-hard willpower is evident, even in my Pokemon. They're all rock-hard and have true grit determination. That's right. My Pokemon are all the Rock type!"

Certainly a dramatic opening speech, Leaf noted, as Red stepped forward to introduce himself.

Initially, nervousness laced his voice. "My name's Red. I'm from Pallet Town." One look at Pikachu sparked some confidence in him. "I've come to earn my first Gym Badge. To do that, I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!"

Brock looked at Pikachu. He was still in a relatively cute stage. How would this beginning trainer hold up against his Rock types?

He gave a hearty laugh. "Given that you know what Pokemon I use, will you still challenge me, knowing that you'll lose?"

"I... My Pokemon and I will pull through! I believe in them!"

"That's the Trainer's honor that compels you to challenge me," Brock said, nodding his head. From his pocket, he took out a Poke Ball. "You said that you were going for your first Gym Badge, correct?"

"Yeah."

"In that case, we'll just have a two on two battle."

On the board, a display was revealed. There was a Poke Ball in the middle, the two trainers' faces on opposite sides and two smaller, grayer Poke Balls next to each of them, all in front of a dark brown background.

"The first person to knock out the other's two Pokemon will win. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Good. Now, show me your best!" Brock tossed the Poke Ball upwards and out onto the battlefield. From the red light came a gray, plated rhinoceros. It stomped on the battlefield with one foot and waited for its opponent.

**"Rhyhorn: the Spikes Pokemon.**

**Although Rhyhorn isn't too bright, it is very strong. Its bones are much tougher than human bones. Because of this, it can knock over trailers and break down skyscrapers with its charging tackles."**

Red had to weigh up his options. Considering that neither of his Pokemon would be able to do much damage to Rock type Pokemon, he had to think of another way he could win. Despite Rhyhorn's rocky plating, there might have been a weak spot on it that he could exploit, even with a not very effective move. Its underside, perhaps? But what were the odds of it being exposed in the middle of battle? Rhyhorn looked primed for battle and was ready to tank any incoming attack.

"Metapod, I'm counting on you!"

As the Cocoon Pokemon appeared, Brock raised an eyebrow. "You're going to use a Bug type Pokemon?" he asked skeptically. "Don't you know that Bug types are weak to Rock types?"

"Let's just battle," Red replied. From the side, Leaf noticed a certain fire in his eyes. "I already told you that my Pokemon will pull through." Rhyhorn and Metapod appeared on the scoreboard next to their respective trainers. They were in full color, since the Pokemon themselves were active in battle. Switching out would display them in a slight grayscale, while a knockout would display them in black.

"Confident, are we? Alright. I'll let you have the first move."

"Thanks. Metapod, use Harden!"

The Bug type's body tensed and shined. Leaf watched on, clasping her hands. Metapod may have had the type disadvantage, but hopefully, the increase in defense made up for it.

"If you won't try to do damage, then I will," Brock said. "Rhyhorn, use Horn Attack!"

The Spikes Pokemon's horn glowed white as it burst forward. It stomped across the battlefield so loudly, it was like a deep sounding drum roll. Normally, beginning trainers would have been scared out of their pants to see such a beast charge into their precious little Pidgey, but Red did his best to keep his composure.

"Stop Rhyhorn with String Shot!"

A sticky string was fired, wrapping itself around the charging rhinoceros. Rhyhorn's stampede was put to an end... temporarily. As soon as Red ordered Metapod to use Harden again, Leaf caught onto what he was up to. Keep buying time with String Shot to raise Metapod's defense with Harden! Playing keepaway would surely tire Rhyhorn out, right? Red was elate. He could work his way around a type disadvantage!

Little did he know, Brock saw through his strategy.

"Break out of it, Rhyhorn!"

While Metapod toughened up his defense, Rhyhorn tensed, until the strength of its own body caused the trap to break apart.

"String Shot again, Metapod!" Red called out.

But as soon as the move was launched, Brock smirked. "Use Horn Attack to cut that string!"

Rhyhorn charged forward once again, its horn glowing. Despite not being too clever, it was able to listen to the Pewter Gym Leader's orders. Before the string could circle around its target, the Spikes Pokemon stopped moving and sliced apart the string with Horn Attack. The satisfaction on Red's face then turned into shock. Now that Brock put a stop to the 'buff and debuff' cycle, he planned to go all out. And he did!

"Rock Blast!"

A gray energy sphere formed at the tip of his Pokemon's horn. From it, more energy spheres were fired, morphing themselves into jagged hunks of rock.

"Metapod, you can take it!"

Red's hopes were then shattered, as each of the five rocks smashed into the cocoon. Brock was silent, though he had to hand it to the challenger. None of the bug catchers thought to use any form of strategy, instead resorting to petty Poison Stings from Weedle. However, a weakness to the Rock type was still a weakness to the Rock type, no matter how much defense was pumped into the Pokemon receiving the attack. Metapod ended up taking much more damage than Red hoped and the shaky rocking motion he made showed that he was worn out already!

"M-Metapod...?"

"It's over for your Bug Pokemon," Brock said. "Horn Attack!"

Rhyhorn pointed its glowing horn at its opponent at it stomped on. Desperately, Red called for another String Shot, but the move was cut through easily. With the target in range, Rhyhorn lunged forward, sending Metapod flying with a Horn Attack. The Cocoon Pokemon flew past Red and dropped on the floor behind him.

"Metapod!" Red turned to Metapod, whose eyes were swirled. "No..."

"Your efforts to stall were fruitless," Brock told him. "In fact, look at the position you're in now." He motioned to the scoreboard. Just as programmed, the image of Metapod was blacked out, signaling that he was no longer able to battle. However, Rhyhorn was still going strong.

Shaken up, Red returned Metapod. "I'm sorry... Just rest for now."

Pikachu looked at Red with concern. What would he do next? Was Brock simply too strong for his trainer? Meanwhile, Leaf looked crestfallen for her friend. Both of them were so sure that the 'buff and debuff' cycle would work and it seemed like the perfect plan in both their heads! In practice, though, it fell apart.

"What now?" Brock asked, before facing Pikachu. "I'm assuming that you'll use your Electric type next? Let me warn you in advance that Electric attacks will do nothing to Rhyhorn, who's a Rock _and_ Ground type. If you have nothing else, I suggest you quit while you're behind."

Red clenched a fist. "No way...! If Pikachu's all I've got, I'll fight to the end!" With that said, Pikachu jumped forward. If Red was willing to give it one more go, then so was he!

The Gym Leader sighed. "Very well," he then said. "Rhyhorn, use Rock Blast!"

Hunks of rock were shot out once more, but Red wasn't about to stand there and let his Pokemon take the hits. Pikachu sprang into action, leaping to the side and away from the attack. Brock didn't call off the assault, though, for he ordered for another wave of projectile attacks. Rock Blast was dodged again, but Red was getting nowhere by constantly avoiding. He saw a third Rock Blast barrage head Pikachu's way and knew what he had to do.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack, but jump on each rock!"

The Mouse Pokemon shot forward in a burst of speed, leaving a while trail behind. Nimbly, he pounced from the first rock, to the second, to the third, and to the fourth. From there, Pikachu charged at Rhyhorn. Rhyhorn was a tough Pokemon to crack, so Pikachu had to put a lot of force into Quick Attack. Unfortunately, the impact was only able to budge Rhyhorn and it wasn't enough to do any real damage. Rhyhorn gave a look at Pikachu, who stepped back. Slowly.

"Rhyhorn, use Stomp!"

The rhinoceros reared up on its hind legs. Then, it slammed its front feet down. Luckily, Pikachu jumped back in time, to see a cloud of dust around where Rhyhorn stomped.

"Back up some more, Pikachu," Red said. The Mouse Pokemon obeyed, scurrying away from Rhyhorn. "Okay. Now, use Growl!"

Just like he did against Blue's Eevee, Pikachu yelled aloud, releasing shockwaves at his opponent. Rhyhorn winced as they soared across it, but it managed to get back its composure. Before the growl ended, Brock told his Pokemon to use Rock Blast once more. A volley of rocks was headed Pikachu's way again. He hid behind a stalagmite to protect himself from the first, and he nailed the second and third with Thunder Shocks, but he couldn't muster enough energy to do anything about the last two. They slammed into Pikachu and sent him flying across the battlefield. Red felt his heart beat faster and faster, while Leaf became increasingly anxious for her friend. The children around her, who she assumed were Brock's family, eagerly awaited the final blow. After all, no one should be able to beat Brock with a measly Metapod and Pikachu!

"Finish this, Rhyhorn, with Horn Attack!"

Pikachu struggled to get up and could do nothing about the incoming Rhyhorn, despite Red shouting for him to get out of there. With one final jab from the Spikes Pokemon's horn, Pikachu was knocked out.

"You did it, big bro!" one of the spectators called out, confirming that they were all Brock's siblings.

"You really are the best, Brock!" another added.

The scoreboard may have illuminated as it displayed the fact that Brock won the battle, but the world seemed to freeze around Red. He walked into the Gym, confident that he would win his first Gym Badge, but he couldn't even knock out Brock's first Pokemon! As Brock's siblings cheered the Gym Leader on, Leaf got out of her seat. The defeat must have been heart-crushing for her friend, so she had to go up and comfort him. At the same time, Red slowly walked up to Pikachu. He reached down for him and cradled the Pokemon in his arms. They shared the same look of disappointment, not in each other, but in themselves.

"You did great, Pikachu," Red said. "It's... my fault that we lost."

Pikachu shook his head. "Pika. Pika pika. Chu..."

"No, Pikachu. I-"

"Red." And there he was: the Gym Leader, standing in front of Red. What would he do, chastise him for being so foolish? Tell him that he was only fighting a losing battle? That he was weak? "That was a fine attempt from you."

"W-What...?"

"All my previous challenger did was use Steel Wing and Double Kick over and over. It won him the battle, but not without being so reckless. You... Instead of using brute strength all the way, you used strategy. Attempting to boost your Metapod's stats and lower my Rhyhorn's was something that most new trainers wouldn't have even thought to do!"

The pep talk was nice, but Red knew that Brock didn't come here to give him a gold star for effort. "It wasn't enough, though, was it?" he asked, looking downwards.

Leaf placed a hand on his shoulder. "Red..."

Brock answered the boy's question by shaking his head. "What good is a strategy if you don't have the strength to back it up?" he added. "It's like constructing a building, Red. Your foundation was there, but you didn't have the power to build on top of it, so it couldn't yield a good result. It was a good idea to raise your defenses and lower my offenses, but none of your Pokemon could take advantage of it because your attacks weren't very effective against Rock."

Red remained silent, taking in all that Brock was saying.

After allowing him time to think, the Gym Leader said, "Go out and train some more. Then, when you're ready, we'll have a rematch."

* * *

For a while, it was silent at the Pokemon Center's sleeping room.

Red looked out the window, hoping to see the moon shining down. Unfortunately, he found that it was obscured by clouds. Just what he needed... And if that wasn't enough, shortly after, he couldn't help but hear a pitter-patter on the window. There was a slight drizzle. Typical. Typical that the weather would reflect on Red's mood right now. It was as if the Pokegods themselves decided to toy with him and literally rain on his parade! That was what Red thought, anyway...

...though he knew that he was exaggerating, all because of one loss.

_Remember, my son. Never give up, no matter how many times you stumble, whether it be once, twice or even a thousand times. Learn from your mistakes and become stronger from them._

Those were his father's words, which happened to come to mind at this time. Red shouldn't have been so worked up over being defeated by Brock, since he knew that he was going to face losses at some point during his journey. But having been swept in a battle so easily, having to face defeat so soon... That was what truly got to Red.

However, the more he thought about it, the more it hit him that he fought an uphill battle. He knew that neither Pikachu nor Metapod could do much damage against Rock types, yet he didn't take up Leaf's offer and borrow her Water type. And for what? Just to uphold his beliefs about using his own Pokemon to win? Admirable, perhaps, but it didn't yield much success. In fact, it yielded _zero_ success. During the battle, as soon as Red thought of a strategy, he relied on it too much. Brock was a Gym Leader. He must have known about all sorts of tricks that any opponent would pull on him.

_'I'm so reckless... What was I thinking...?'_

Suddenly, there was a knock on his door.

"Red? It's me, Leaf."

Pikachu knew that Red didn't feel like talking. "Pika pi!" he yipped, allowing Leaf to enter.

As soon as she walked in, a spicy, yet aromatic scent filled the room, getting Red's attention. She placed two plates on the desk. They both held... rice with meat that was covered in a golden sauce...? Curry rice? But of course! It was one of Red's favorite dishes, so he could recognize the smell of it from a mile away! Leaf pulled up a seat next to her friend and gave him a small smile. With that done, she dug in.

Next to Red's plate was a bottle of ketchup that Red had been left for Pikachu for a while. Until now, though, the Mouse Pokemon couldn't lick away, since his partner felt so down. However, it seemed that the magic powers of curry rice cheered the human up. There was no doubt that he wouldn't mind Pikachu having his own dinner alongside him!

But it wasn't magic that made Red feel better. It was the fact that Leaf took a little bit of her time to pick him up when he was down. The gesture made Red feel warm inside. It was at this point he told himself that wallowing in disappointment would get him nowhere and that reprimanding himself would only make things worse. He kept his father's words to heart and vowed to train, train for the rematch with Brock and to get his first Gym Badge. But in order to gain an advantage against Brock, what could he do?

Hmm...

Eh, that could wait. There was dinner to be eaten!

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Probably the most important chapter so far, folks. And you read it correctly. Red lost against Brock. Now, before you guys swarm me with hate PMs, please hear me out.

I felt that if Red won every battle he took part in, it wouldn't leave much for him to learn from. The adventures of a 'God Mode' protagonist is _not _what I have in store for you all because I don't think there's much to take from it. Mistakes wouldn't be made, since Red would have been perfect from the get-go, so there would be little sense of character development. Ultimately, this novelization wouldn't have been so interesting. Also, in my head-canon, Red is _not _a 'top tier' battler and even he faced his fair share of defeats. Because of this, I believe that he earned the title of 'Living Legend' for rising up the ranks, starting with being a novice trainer from Pallet Town.

However, that's not to say that Red is clueless. He knew what he was getting himself into during this chapter, but because he wanted to earn the Gym Badge with his own efforts, he went in with what he had. As he's now realized, going with his gut is not the only thing that matters when battling against a Gym Leader. It also takes strength and a strategy. He had the latter with Metapod, sure, but how would he have capitalized? Have Pikachu set off the sprinklers? XD

Sorry for the rambling. I just had to get that out there, in case I offended anyone by having Red lose. ^^

Another thing. Brock used a Rhyhorn, when he doesn't do this in the Kanto games. I wanted to mix up the Gym Leaders' rosters a bit. Be on the lookout for any other differences. You might be pleasantly surprised! Or not. I might set off you purists' rage! I'm not deviating _that_ far from the source material, am I? XD

* * *

**-Have a great day, week, month, whatever, and stay upbeat, y'all!-**


	7. Chapter 6: Rock Wrecking

**I own no Pokemon characters. Credits to Game Freak.**

* * *

**-Chapter 6: Rock Wrecking-**

* * *

The sunlight shone through the window, tapping Leaf's face. She moaned slightly as her eyes were forced to open. She scratched her head in confusion. Last she remembered, she was out in a field, studying the lifestyles of rare Pokemon. How did she end up in a sleeping room? Just a dream, she supposed. In any case, she rubbed her eyes and pushed herself to sit up. As her vision cleared up and as she felt more and more awake, she looked around the room, wondering if Red was awake. Her suspicions were correct, as she found him fiddling with something at the desk. Pikachu sat on the desk, looking at what Red was doing. They seemed to have the same thing in mind.

"I've got it!" Red said to his Pokemon, who yipped in response. The way Red acted when he came up with an idea always made Leaf giggle. The raised eyebrows, the _slightly_ higher pitch in voice, it made him seem younger than he already is. The boy in question turned around. "Oh! Did I wake you up, Leaf?"

She shook her head. "I was up before you said that you 'got it'. Whatcha thinking?"

"Well, do you remember when Brock said that my Pokemon couldn't do super effective damage against Rock type Pokemon? And do you remember when Professor Oak said that I might need new information for my battles?" After Leaf nodded, Red showed her his Pokedex. The top screen displayed a page about Pikachu. There were a few sub-menus below. Red selected 'Moves'. At the top screen, there was now a huge list of moves, those that the Pokemon could learn. "You know, if I were smart, I would have done this earlier. I guess I was so excited for the battle, I kinda forgot..."

"Don't worry about it, Red," Leaf said with a smile. She took a seat next to him and looked at the list of moves with him.

"Thanks, Leaf. Anyway... Having looked at Pikachu's movelist, I learned that I can teach my Pikachu 'Brick Break' and 'Iron Tail'."

"That's great, Red! Fighting and Steel work great against Rock, so this should help you a lot!"

"My problem, though, is that I don't want to spend too much time teaching both. I was thinking of teaching one today and leaving the other until later on, but... Which one should I teach today?"

The two thought about it for a moment. There were advantages and disadvantages to both, especially when it came to each move's power and overall type coverage. In both their opinions, they balanced out, meaning there wouldn't have been a problem with either of them. Pikachu, however, seemed to have made up his mind. Jumping to the floor, he made a fighting stance and punched the air. Red smiled.

He guessed that his Pikachu wanted to stand out from the rest. From what he could remember, loads of Pikachu (and even their evolved form: Raichu) on TV had Iron Tail in their disposal. It was decided. After breakfast, Red would train Pikachu to use Brick Break.

* * *

Back on Route 2, the sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly. However, there was no time to rest. Red and Leaf had to get a training plan down.

Before Pikachu could master Brick Break, he had to work on his basic punches first, as well as his speed. Leaf's Squirtle would shoot Water Guns at Pikachu, who would dodge them as he runs up to him and gives a punch. To protect himself from the punch, Leo would use Withdraw. Then, Pikachu would run back. Rinse and repeat. Maybe with a Thunder Shock every now and then. However, even though Red's focus was on getting Pikachu to master Brick Break, he didn't want to leave Metapod out. Leaf's Spearow was the only other Pokemon available, so the two trainers made do.

"Won't be a bit unfair, though, since Chaos has the type advantage against Metapod?" Leaf questioned her friend.

"Pikachu has the type advantage against your Squirtle," Red responded. "It's only fair that one of your Pokemon gets the upper hand!"

The plan with Metapod would be to toughen up with Harden and fire String Shots at the evading Spearow. Every now and then, Chaos would swoop down and peck the Cocoon Pokemon.

All four Pokemon underwent their routine and progressed without a hitch (not without the occasional break, of course!). It was clear that they were all improving. The speed of Leo's projectiles was improving, yet the punches Pikachu could eventually land really did a number on the Squirtle. Metapod's aim was getting a lot better, though the fierceness of Chaos' Peck attacks increased also. At one point, the Spearow jabbed Metapod multiple times, but it didn't seem to do super effective damage. In fact, it wasn't Peck at all. It was the multi hit move 'Fury Attack'!

After Metapod took the barrage attack, _it _happened.

The Cocoon Pokemon's glowed white, which could only mean one thing. Everyone resisted the urge to comment, as the sight that unfolded was truly a beautiful one. His body slowly morphed into two round segments. Then, wings sprouted from its back, while hands and feet grew out also. With the evolution complete, the glow faded. Everyone around the purple bodied butterfly gasped in amazement.

Said butterfly squealed happily upon seeing his stubby hands and feet, as well as his finely scaled wings. Being a male, however, his lower wings didn't have a black stripe going through each of them. Regardless, Red cracked up with gleeful laughter at the sight of his fully evolved Pokemon.

**"Butterfree: the Butterfly Pokemon.**

**In battle, it can flap its wings at great speeds to release highly toxic dust. The wings themselves are protected with a rain repellent dust, enabling Butterfree to fly in the rain.**

**Upon evolving, this Pokemon learned 'Confusion'."**

Butterfree looked at his trainer with red compound eyes and gave an ecstatic squeal. "Freee! Freee!"

"You're a Butterfree..." Red held a grin. "You achieved your dream!"

No one could deny that they were proud of their Bug type friend, who tested his new attack by lifting a nearby rock. Even Chaos was somewhat impressed!

And that wasn't all. Afterwards, Pikachu and Leo continued training among themselves. Leo just hit Pikachu with a flurry of Bubble attacks. As Pikachu shook off the attack, the Squirtle thought to be a little cheeky and hide behind another large rock nearby. Little did he know it, that would set off an event that would complete Pikachu's training.

"Chu..."

With determined flair, the Electric type's feet got moving and he ran up to the large rock. He pulled back a fist, which began to glow a light blue.

"PIIKAAA!"

Just one thrust forward and the rock shattered! Because his sparring partner didn't expect it, he was nailed by the attack and was sent flying. While Leaf tended to her Pokemon, Red gave a knowing look to Pikachu.

It was time.

* * *

"I'm back."

Seeing Red and Leaf return gave Brock's siblings various reactions. One or two, particularly the older ones, were interested in how much the challenger had improved since the thrashing given yesterday, but they still had doubts. Some were confused as to why Red would return so early, and they wondered whether he even bothered training at all (little did they know!). The rest? They wanted to see the challenger get destroyed by Rhyhorn again.

Brock ignored all of his siblings and addressed Red. "Right on time. Shall we get started?"

"Yes. Let's."

Red and Brock took their positions on the battlefield, while the spectators took their seat and the scoreboard lit up. The Gym Leader announced the rules once more. Two on two. Whoever knocks out both of the opponent's Pokemon wins. Red wasn't too surprised to see Brock send out Rhyhorn again. He witnessed the Spikes Pokemon's strength firsthand yesterday, but today, he developed an appropriate counter.

"The Pikachu again, eh?" Brock commented, watching Pikachu leap from Red's shoulder. "I guess I'll find out how much your Pokemon's improved here and now."

"Let's do it, then. Pikachu, use Growl!"

At first, it was the same song and dance. Rhyhorn winced as he was affected by the loud cry, though it managed to shrug it off afterwards and use Rock Blast. Pikachu managed to dodge the projectiles with relative ease, but soon saw a second volley of rocks head his way.

"Just like last time, Pikachu!" Red called out. "Use Quick Attack and jump across each rock!"

The Mouse Pokemon dashed forward and bounced across Rhyhorn's attack, one rock at a time. Red's next command had to be timed right, though. First rock... Second rock. Third rock...!

"Now, time for our new move. Use Brick Break!"

Just after Pikachu pounced off the last rock, one of his fists glowed blue. As he flew towards his opponent, he thrust it forward, but not before Rhyhorn could retaliate with Horn Attack. The two moves sent both opponents back in opposite directions. As usual, Horn Attack did quite a bit of damage on Pikachu, though his efforts weren't in vain this time. Red noticed that Rhyhorn took longer to recover from Brock Break's impact than it did with that of Quick Attack.

"Super effective!" Leaf cheered.

"It seems you've learned from yesterday," Brock said to Red, having heard Leaf's comment. "However, don't think you've won just yet. Rhyhorn, use Rock Blast again!"

This time, it was Brock that was playing defensively. He seemed to want to draw Red's Pikachu in and attack him unawares. As Pikachu ducked and dodged behind the stalagmites, Red thought about whether to take the bait or not. Then, he remembered what happened last time. By playing too passively, he couldn't do any damage. As soon as another volley of rocks was launched, Red made his next more.

"Run up to Rhyhorn and use Brick Break again!"

Pikachu dashed towards his opponent, moving side to side to dodge Rhyhorn's attack. It was very reminiscent of his training this morning, except Rhyhorn didn't know any defense boosting move (or so Red hoped, anyway!). Despite this, Brock had another means of stopping Pikachu.

"Stomp!"

Rhyhorn reared up on his hind legs. In the small amount of time left, Red noticed that its underbelly had been exposed.

"Use a Brick Break uppercut, Pikachu!" he commanded, raising a fist in such a motion.

Before Rhyhorn could slam its front feet down, Pikachu mimicked his trainer, with a fist that glowed blue and jumping in the process. The lack of defense around the targeted area made the super effective attack that much more painful for the Spikes Pokemon, as Red heard it roar in pain for the first time. It was also apparent that Brock _loved _Rock Blast, since he told Rhyhorn to use it again to hit Pikachu before he could descend. It couldn't break its own fall after forcefully sending Pikachu downwards, so upon landing back on the battlefield, it made quite a loud impact. Not 'Earthquake' levels of dangerous, but still enough to shake Pikachu up a little. The two stared each other down. Despite Rhyhorn being part Ground, it was actually in a slightly worse position than the Electric type.

Brock decided that the time for playing keepaway was over. "Rhyhorn, use Horn Attack!"

"Intercept with Brick Break, Pikachu!"

The two rushed at each other one more time. Pikachu swung a fist at Rhyhorn, who stepped back and retaliated by thrusting forward. In response, Pikachu sidestepped and swung a glowing fist at Rhyhorn's side. The Spikes Pokemon was sent tumbling across the battlefield, but couldn't get up.

"Rhyhorn can't battle anymore..." one of Brock's sisters uttered in shock.

Brock closed his eyes for a moment before walking up to Rhyhorn, who looked away in shame. "Hey, don't feel bad. You won me the battle yesterday," he told his Pokemon. He was happy to see that it made it feel better. With all said and done, Brock returned Rhyhorn. "Take a good rest." He put that Poke Ball in one pocket and pulled out another from his other pocket. "Now, it's time for the big boy. Onix!"

The Pokemon that appeared was enough to make anyone wet themselves. In front of Red was an _enormous_ snake-like creature made of boulders, with a spine protruding out of its head! It let out such a thunderous roar, even people outside the Gym could hear it. They knew that the poor challenger had it coming. They knew of Onix. It was a behemoth, as in, 'a huge or monstrous creature'!

**"Onix: the Rock Snake Pokemon.**

**It usually lives underground. It searches for food while boring its way through the ground at 50 miles per hour. As Onix grows, the stones that make up its body harden to become similar to black diamonds."**

Brock's Onix stared its minuscule opponent down. Its very appearance was enough to petrify any beginning trainer and their Pokemon. Unfortunately for Pikachu, he was its next target. Red had seen a few Onix on TV, as well as their evolved forms (yes, those horrifying beasts could evolve!). He pictured himself face to face with them someday, but never did he dream that one would appear so early in his adventure!

He tried to put on a brave face (one that Brock easily saw through). "L-Let's not get intimidated by Onix's size, Pikachu. It's just another Rock type, after all. We can take it down with Brick Break."

"Take Onix down? You won't. I believe in Onix."

"We'll see about that! Pikachu, go for it!"

It was a good thing that Pikachu had a Fighting type move to counter Rock types, especially Onix. Why? Because Brick Break at least made Onix budge. Anything else he could have used would have done nothing whatsoever!

"_What!?_"

"Well done, Onix! Now, Slam!"

Before Red could tell Pikachu to dodge, Onix swung its tail at the Mouse Pokemon, knocking him quite a ways.

Brock remained on the offensive with his choice of moves. "Get Pikachu moving with back to back Rock Throws!"

Onix rose its head, making some gray energy spheres appear above and around it. They became less smooth and more jagged, resembling actual rocks. One by one, they flew across the battlefield to their target. Pikachu burst forward with Quick Attack, side stepping away from each rock that was thrown. With a leap forward, he even managed to run atop the large monster's body and deliver a swift Brick Break to the head. It did more to Onix than last time, but the effect wasn't substantial enough.

Red panicked. "Pikachu, get out of there!"

"Onix, use Bind!"

The giant threw Pikachu off its back and grabbed him with its tail. Then, it began to squeeze.

Red gasped in horror. "Pikachu!"

The sight was too much to handle, even for Brock's siblings, who supported him throughout the battle. As Onix tightened its grip, Pikachu's struggles to break free became more useless. His options were cut off, as there wasn't enough room for a Quick Attack or a Brick Break. A completely ineffective Thunder Shock reminded Red that Onix was also Rock/Ground. Any cry of pain Pikachu let out sounded more hoarse because of his whole body being constricted. It got the point when not even a Growl would work!

Pikachu's vision began to darken.

Onix held its grip. Until...

"Onix, stop! Pikachu can't fight anymore."

With a slow nod, the Rock Snake Pokemon released its grip on Pikachu, who could only gasp for air. Terrified, Red ran up to where Pikachu was and held him in his arms.

"Pikachu! Are you okay!?"

"Pi... Pika..." Pikachu weakly murmured.

"You were awesome, Pikachu. Don't you worry. Just take a nice, long break." As he carried Pikachu to his side of the battlefield and placed him down, Red knew that he only had one more shot left. He knew that he would have to give it his all with his next Pokemon. "Butterfree, let's go!"

Brock couldn't help but be impressed that Red got his Metapod to evolve. However, he wouldn't let that give him the upper hand. In fact, being part Flying, Butterfree was even more vulnerable to Rock type moves! It was time to see whether the boost in power would be worth the amplified weakness.

"Onix, use Rock Throw!"

The rock soared forward, but thanks to Butterfree's increased agility, it was dodged with ease (and with grace, according to Leaf).

"Again, Onix!" Brock called out. "Don't let up!"

Three rocks were hurled at Butterfree, one by one, the first two of which were avoided again. The last one was when Red decided to be offensive.

"Butterfree, use Confusion! Spin the rock around and throw it back!"

The butterfly's eyes glowed blue, focusing his newly developed telekinetic powers to hold the rock in place. As told to, he then span it around his body twice before tossing it back at the original sender. Though a rock colliding with a Rock type didn't prove to be very effective, it did make for a quick distraction. With the time available, Butterfree hardened up, increasing his defense like he did as a Metapod.

Red was proud of his butterfly. In little time, he really proved himself. "You're doing great, Butterfree! Now, use Confusion on Onix!"

Butterfree did just that, lifting the giant rock snake. Onix didn't face a Butterfree with Confusion often, so it was natural for it to panic.

Some of Brock's siblings cried in shock. "Onix! No!"

Brock had to keep his cool, for the sake of his Pokemon. "Onix, try to reach out with your tail and use Bind!"

The levitating Onix swung his body around and stretched its tail out. However, before it could reach, Red told Butterfree to throw Onix. He strained even more as he used his powers to throw Onix to the other side of the battlefield. The telekinetic force of the attack and the friction produced from sliding on the rough floor was enough to wear it down. Red was happy with the results. If physical attacks wouldn't do it, then special attacks would.

"Onix, are you alright?" Brock asked. There was a delayed grunt, though it didn't show any signs of giving up. "That's the spirit, Onix! Go for a Rock Tomb!"

"Dodge it, Butterfree!"

Onix hurled four hunks of rock simultaneously. If caught in the middle, Butterfree would have been trapped, so he had to dive to the side, stretching out his head in hopes of ensuring that he picked up enough speed. Brock seized the moment and told Onix to use Slam. The Rock Snake Pokemon charged forward and slammed Butterfree with its tail. Luckily, Harden buffered the damage and knockback slightly, which was why Red had the Butterfly Pokemon use Confusion once more.

"You're in a good position, Onix!" Brock said, surprising Red. "Bind!"

Now closer to Butterfree, Onix's tail could reach and wrap around him, stopping his Confusion. All that the Butterfly Pokemon could feel was a chain of rocks squeeze on his delicate body.

"Not again...!" Red muttered, forcing himself to watch the scene a second time. There had to be something he could do to get out of it...!

Despite Butterfree's current state being similar to that of Pikachu's before he was unable to battle, there was an important difference. One of Butterfree's attacks would still be effective. But how effective would it be in this state?

The Bug type Pokemon let out a strained cry, unable to pull off Confusion. All stress that he felt was from Onix's Bind. His disappointed eyes locked with Red's determined eyes. Even as a fully evolved Pokemon, he was still put in a bad position.

But that didn't stop Butterfree from at least giving it a go!

"Freee..."

His eyes flashed blue once. Twice. Three times. The glow then remained constant! Soon after, Onix's body was outlined in the same color. Suddenly, its tail unwrapped its opponent and Onix found himself floating uncontrollably once again. It wasn't hovering at the greatest of heights, but no matter how hard it tried, it wouldn't... move... its darn tail!

"Now, Butterfree!"

Butterfree mustered every ounce of confidence he could. He unleashed enough telekinetic force to propel Onix past its side of the battlefield and all the way to the other side of the building! The collision that the Rock Snake Pokemon made with the wall, though not strong enough to break it, was still the straw that broke the camel's back.

It collapsed on the floor with one final thud.

"That's it," Brock said quietly. "Onix is down, too."

Red stared in shock. He did it. He defeated a Gym Leader!

No longer able to contain his excitement, he and Pikachu ran up to Butterfree and showered him with praise.

"You did it, Butterfree! You scored the victory for us!"

"Pika pi! Pikachu!"

Butterfree squeaked bashfully before falling on his trainer's shoulder.

Red placed a hand on his back. "I'm really proud of you." He noticed Leaf jump out her seat and run up to him. Just as shyly as Butterfree, he let out a little laugh as she congratulated him.

Meanwhile, Brock returned Onix to its Poke Ball and mustered a smile. "Good job. Rest easy."

His siblings couldn't handle the events that just occurred. A few of them scurried over to him to comfort him, but with a raise of a hand, he managed to hush them.

"I'm a Gym Leader," he said. "I have to expect both wins and losses."

"But Brock-"

"I'm not going to get worked up over it." With that, he walked up to Red, holding a gray octagonal badge out to him. "Here. As proof of your victory, I'll give you this. It's the official 'Boulder Badge'. With eight Gym Badges, you're allowed to take on the Pokemon League's Elite Four!"

Red took it, staring at it in awe. Physically, it felt like just a piece of metal. However, there was a significant meaning behind this particular one. He pinned it inside his jacket with pride.

"There are all kinds of people in this world," Brock said. "Many of us have Pokemon, but we have different goals in mind. Even though I'm a Gym Leader, I'm also training to be a Pokemon Breeder!"

"A Breeder?" Red knew of the term, but he didn't exactly know what it meant.

"Most of them are concerned with raising their Pokemon for health and friendship. The few that raise them for battle selectively breed certain Pokemon, so the offspring have the desired characteristics for battle."

"Wow. Those ones must be pretty strong."

"You're not so bad yourself, Red," Brock told him. "Your Pokemon actually gave mine a run for their money this time, considering their tough defenses!"

"You really think so?" Red had to chuckle a little afterwards. Even after defeat, Brock didn't let go of the belief that his Pokemon were rock hard! Well, his first victory was something to go by!

"You're very well on your way to becoming a great Pokemon Trainer. As for your next challenge, you should head to Cerulean City. A friend of mine happens to be the Gym Leader there."

"I actually planned on doing that after coming here."

Brock placed a hand on Red's shoulder, smiles pulling on both their faces. "Good luck. You'll need a bit of it, alongside your skill."

"Thank you, Brock. And goodbye!"

"Have a safe journey, Red!"

The two shook hands. Red felt confidence swirl inside him as he and Leaf left Pewter City's Gym. With Leaf, her Pokemon, Pikachu and the fully evolved Butterfree at his side, he felt well equipped to take on the world. The path of a great Pokemon Trainer was always a rough one, as Red heard from stories. However, two things were accomplished. Butterfree achieved his dream, while Red was one step closer to realizing his own.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Well, that was a long chapter! I originally wanted to have Red and Leaf's training be a separate chapter, but it was too short on its own and I couldn't think of much to write about. Ah well.

As threatening as I made Onix out to be in this novelization, it's a real pushover in the actual games. It may have a ton of physical defense, but that only means that special attacks will wipe the floor with it. And most Water and Grass moves, super effective on Rock types like Onix, are special based! In general, I have an easy time with first Gyms in Pokemon games (a given, since it's the first Gym!), so Game!Brock isn't really anything to write home about. Anime!Brock, on the other hand... He was awesome! I did like Cilan, but even early on in the Black and White arc, I was already missing Brock. Clemont's cool as well. He's more of an anti-Brock, with Bonnie pushing him _towards _girls instead of pulling him away.

As for Pokemon learning new moves, some will come naturally. This will include moves that can be learned by level up or relearn, and will also include other moves that still kinda make sense (such as TM moves of the same type as the Pokemon, like Espeon with Psyshock). Others will be taught and time will be taken to master them (more 'out of the ordinary' moves, such as Lapras with Thunderbolt). Some egg moves will be a part of Pokemon's movesets, too. They can fit in either category, depending on the move itself. All of this means that TMs and HMs don't exist in my novelization.

One last thing. After every victory against a Gym Leader, I'd like to talk about my favorite Pokemon of the Leader's type. To kick things off, I'd like to bring attention to my favorite Rock type: Tyranitar.

Tyranitar can cause so much damage to the landscape, maps have to be redrawn to maintain accuracy! Back off, Groudon. This is the real Continent Pokemon! The Godzilla lookalike is a powerhouse all around, with great stats (although a little slow) and a wide range of moves. Mega Tyranitar is arguably one of the more unnecessary Mega Evolutions, as regular Tyranitar is great enough as it is. Its cry is awesome, too! It strikes fear and tells the opponent that they're gonna get annihilated!

What about you guys? What's your favorite Rock type Pokemon and why?

* * *

**-Have a great day, week, month, whatever, and stay upbeat, y'all!-**


	8. Chapter 7: Helping One Friend

**I own no Pokemon characters. Credits to Game Freak.**

* * *

**-Chapter 7: Helping One Friend and Making Another-**

* * *

The rest of the day was spent traveling along Route 3, a mountainous road. Appropriate, since it led to Mt Moon. There were a lot of other trainers around, most of whom came to look for a certain pink Pokemon in the area. They weren't having much luck. To take out their frustration, they challenged Red and Leaf (mostly the former) to battles. Some of the Pokemon were new faces, such as the rodents Nidoran (both the purple male and the blue female) and the aptly named Ekans. The trainers themselves, however... Let's just say that people all over Kanto were 'unique' in their own way. A bug catcher claiming to have met Red and Leaf before (though to be fair, they all wore the same thing), a girl who was afraid of them touching her (even though _she_ challenged them in the first place)...

And shorts. Lots of shorts-wearing youngsters.

But this pink Pokemon... Red couldn't help but wonder what kind of Pokemon it was. Leaf, too, was curious, placing a finger on her chin as she thought. She had an idea. Two, to be specific: Jigglypuff and Clefairy, similar, yet very distinct Pokemon. One star-shaped, the other a round puffball. She remembered being a big fan of both of them when she was younger, though she had never seen either of them in person before. In truth, she only knew of them from her old picture books and the shows Red watched on TV.

Suddenly, she remembered something. "Hey, Red."

Red turned around. "Yes?"

"Do you remember 'Lullabies with Jigglypuff' and 'Clefairy Tales'?"

"Those series of books we used to read in school? Yeah, I do. Actually, now that you brought them up, remember the forewords in those books? I think they told us that Jigglypuff and Clefairy are most common around these areas."

"Then... One of them has to be the pink Pokemon everyone's been looking for! Red, we've got to find one before it gets too dark!" Leaf then jumped up and down, like the schoolgirl she used to be.

Red laughed at Leaf's adorable antics, but had to calm her down by placing a hand on her shoulder. "The question is... Which one do we look for?"

It was then that the nearby grass rustled. Before long, a Pokemon jumped out. A pink, balloon like Pokemon, to be specific. On top of its head was a curled tuft of fur and on its face were abnormal, yet adorable large eyes.

"Jiggly!" it chimed in a high pitched voice.

Leaf swooned. "Aaahh! It's so _cuuuute_!" She scrambled for Leo's Poke Ball, while Red took out his Pokedex.

**"Jigglypuff: the Balloon Pokemon.**

**Jigglypuff's huge eyes light up to captivate its foes. Then, it sings a mysteriously soothing melody that lulls them to sleep."**

After hearing what the device had to say about Jigglypuff, Red heard Leo's excited cry. Despite having battled all afternoon, the Squirtle was still raring to go. Jigglypuff, however, didn't seem so confident. Red saw it in its eyes. As for Leaf...

"Leo, use Bubble!"

As the command was made, Jigglypuff whimpered in fear. Before the flurry of bubbles could connect, the Balloon Pokemon suddenly deflated, bringing it to a low enough level to dodge the attack.

"Well, if Bubble won't work, maybe Water Gun will! Go for it, Leo!"

Meanwhile, Red took note of how the wild Pokemon didn't intend to retaliate with its own moves. Instead, it jumped away from the stream of water and cowered behind a nearby rock.

"Leaf, stop!" Red called out, before she could make another move. She turned to him and tilted her head. "This Jigglypuff isn't doing anything to fight back. It probably doesn't want to battle you!"

Leaf looked over at the rock the Pokemon was hiding behind. Slowly, ever so slowly, it peered its head out. Seeing it about to burst into tears made her feel awful.

She walked over to the wild Pokemon and knelt down. "I'm so sorry, Jigglypuff," she said. "I... I didn't think about your feelings for a second."

Oddly enough, as if nothing happened, Jigglypuff chimed a cheery response.

Leaf was delighted that all was forgiven, but still wanted to make up for it. "Hey, you're known for your wonderful singing voice, right?" The Pokemon nodded. "Why don't we listen to you sing, then?"

Jigglypuff squealed in excitement. Finally, it could show off its talents to a human audience! With that in mind, the Balloon Pokemon leaped on top of the rock, spinning around as it was in the air, and pulled out a microphone. Where did it keep the microphone the entire time? Who knew? One thing was for sure. It was time for Jigglypuff to shine. It took a deep breath and began to sing.

"_Jiiiiigalyy puuuuffff... Jiggalyyyyyyyy puuuuuffff..._"

No tutor on Earth could possibly teach someone to sing as beautifully as Jigglypuff. As a species, this was to be expected. However, Red, Leaf and their Pokemon still thought it to be a tremendous honor to witness it for themselves. Each note flowed into the other seamlessly, like a river, and Jigglypuff's voice itself was sweet, soft, soothing... It was amazing... seeing the performance before their very eyes... Eyes... Speaking of which...

"Is it just me... or are my eyes... getting-"

"Heavy...? Nah... That's... just... just..."

Before long, the world turned completely black.

* * *

When Red and Leaf next woke up, they found themselves in a completely different environment. Walls actually surrounded them where they were, for one thing. They also realized that they were lying on different beds! No wonder the first thing they felt was something soft and comfy on their heads... Where, then, were the rocks, the path, the wild Jigglypuff? All outside, except the last thing. One look out the window told the two that morning already came.

"How did we get here...?" Leaf asked as she rubbed her eyes.

Red shrugged. "Last thing I remember, we were listening to that Jigglypuff's song. It must have put us to sleep."

"And Jigglypuff's not here with us?"

"I'm sorry... But, no."

"Man..." Leaf slumped back on the bed, crestfallen. "I really wanted that Jigglypuff. It probably left because no one was awake to hear its song anymore!" She let a long sigh escape her mouth. "I should have known that Jigglypuff songs would put both Pokemon _and_ humans to sleep, and I should have asked to make it up to Jigglypuff in a different way. I missed my big chance..."

"Don't say that, Leaf. We still have a Clefairy to find," Red said to her with a smile. "If you want, we could stay in the area until you find one. Who knows? We might even find another Jigglypuff!" Speaking of finding Pokemon, there was one member of the group missing: a certain yellow rat. "Hey, where's Pikachu?"

Just then, there was a knock. After being invited to, whoever it was, they entered.

Out came Pikachu, who, strangely enough, carried a plate of breakfast with him. Beside him was someone else, who carried two more plates of food. However, neither Red nor Leaf expected this person to show up!

"Yellow!"

The blonde couldn't help but giggle at their reactions. "Good morning, Red. Good morning, Leaf."

It hadn't been too long since either of them had seen Yellow. However, that didn't change the fact that it was great to see her again. Since she and Pikachu brought over breakfast for them, they decided to chat over some eggs and toast. Syrup for Pikachu! Ketchup wasn't the healthiest thing to have for the first meal of the day...

"I was in the area, when I found all of you sleeping on the ground!" Yellow looked down, a frightened expression appearing on her face. "You weren't in sleeping bags, so I... I couldn't just leave you there!"

Leaf did her best to muster a smile, despite her mouth being full of food. "Good thing you were around, then," she said after swallowing. "We must have looked pretty stupid, huh?"

Red nodded, though he had a question of his own. "What were you doing around here, Yellow?"

"Mt Moon was nearby. I went inside to explore it, but..." The worried look on her face turned into one of shame. "There was this really mean man who told me to leave. I asked why, but he thought I was 'challenging his authority' and took me on in a Pokemon battle."

"How did it go?" Red asked, though judging from the expression in Yellow's face, he could already predict the result. "Oh, I'm-"

"I-It's alright. It's my fault, anyway, for not being strong enough." Her heart became heavy for a moment, as she remembered the smug look on that man's face, as she remembered the feeling of being dominated. Red saw that it showed through her eyes, but for a fraction of a second, he saw himself where Yellow was. Just a couple days ago, he felt exactly the same.

All of a sudden, a light bulb lit up in Leaf's head.

"Hey, how about we help you out?"

"You would? But, wouldn't I just be in the way of-"

"Nuh uh! Don't you put yourself down now!" Leaf playfully wagged her finger. "We're friends, and friends help each other out, right?"

There was a moment of silence, before Yellow smiled a warm smile.

"Thank you."

* * *

It was only a short walk away between Route 3's Pokemon Center and the entrance to Mt Moon. The goal, however, was not to enter the mountain itself. As the group walked onward, Red looked around, searching for an appropriate battleground for Yellow to train in. Meanwhile, the girls talked among themselves about typical girl stuff. Red decided to opt out, since his interests deviated slightly from theirs. Soon, everyone found themselves just in front of the entrance to Mt Moon. The stretch of barren land happened to be flat, but had no rocks lying about.

"How about this spot?" Yellow asked.

Red looked around. "Sorta reminds me of where I battled Blue," he said. "No obstructions... I think this would be good."

"Great!" Leaf chimed. "C'mon, Yellow! Let's do this!"

"Just us two? But what about-"

"Oh, don't worry about Red." The brunette nudged her red capped friend. "He's had his share of battles, so methinks I deserve some of the action today."

Before Yellow could open her mouth, Red assured her, "It's alright. I don't mind taking a back seat. Besides, I could make a pointer or two, or even learn a few things from you girls!"

"Then it's settled!" Leaf looked around, judging for herself how long the battlefield should be. Then, she ran a fair distance away from Yellow and faced her.

Red stood in the middle, with Pikachu perched on his shoulder. "I know you have two Pokemon, Leaf. Yellow, I'm assuming you still have two, too?" The petite girl revealed her only two Poke Balls. "In that case, how does a 'double battle' between you two sound?"

"'Double battle'?" Yellow repeated. "Is that where you send out two Pokemon at once?"

Leaf nodded. "Self explanatory, isn't it? Want a go?"

"Well..." Yellow took a moment to think. Double battles didn't sound too different from single battles, but both of her Pokemon would be able to be trained at the same time, rather than one after another. "I think a double battle would be nice," she said. "Shall we begin?"

"We shall! Leo and Chaos, do your best out there!"

"Charmander, Rattata, I need your help!"

The sound of all four Poke Balls opening simultaneously was strangely satisfying to hear. It was like the sound of only one Poke Ball opening, only amplified. After it died down, however, out came the four Pokemon. Chaos fiercely eyed her opponents down, while Leo grinned as he stretched his legs. A Rattata sniffed around, before focusing his attention on the upcoming battle. Next to him, an orange lizard gave an assured look to his trainer, who nodded somewhat hesitantly. Red noticed this, assuming that it had something to do with what happened yesterday. As he scanned the Charmander with his Pokedex, he knew that the Fire type Pokemon didn't want to let Yellow down.

**"Charmander: the Lizard Pokemon.**

**Charmander has a preference for hot things. From the time one is born, a flame burns at the tip of its tail, which spouts steam upon contact with rain. The flame itself is a measure of the Charmander's health and mood."**

"I probably should have done this before you sent out your Pokemon, but..." Red placed Pikachu on the ground and then raised his arms. Admittedly, playing the referee was something he always wanted to try, but never got the opportunity to do. An odd, tingly sensation filled him as he announced the rules. "This will be a double battle between Leaf and Yellow! Trainers, once one of your Pokemon has been knocked out, the other must continue alone! The battle ends when both Pokemon from one side are down! Any objections?"

Both girls shook their heads.

"Leaf... this is the point where I would ask you to take it easy on me, but... Don't."

"I don't want you to be stretched too far too soon, so tell me when enough's enough, okay?"

"I will. Red, we're ready."

Red pointed his arms as high as possible. "Alright, let's get started!" Then, he flung his arms downward. "Fight!"

"Chaos, use Fury Attack!"

Chaos dashed forward with a glowing beak, kicking up dust as she beat her wings.

"D-Dodge it!" Yellow cried fearfully.

Luckily for Yellow's Pokemon, they managed to avoid the Spearow's jabs. However, as Charmander and Rattata ducked and dived, Leaf called for a Water Gun from Leo. Knowing that her opponents would attempt to dodge the stream of water, Chaos stopped her Fury Attack and soared high in the sky. Below her, the Water Gun splashed onto the ground, as Charmander and Rattata jumped away in time.

"Leo, Withdraw!" Leaf then gave a knowing wink at Chaos and gave a sort of signal to her.

Yellow didn't see this while thinking in that short span of time. "Charmander, use Scratch!" she then said. "Rattata, you use Tackle!"

As told, her Pokemon scurried over to the withdrawn Squirtle to use their basic attacks. Rattata went on ahead as Charmander readied his claws and prepared to lunge forward. Leo was still in his shell, waiting. This was an opportune moment for Yellow. If Leo wasn't going to do anything, that left him open for an attack. By combining both of her Pokemon's efforts, she could do some serious damage! But, wait a second...! Where was-

"Now, Chaos! Dive down and use Fury Attack!"

Before Charmander and Rattata could even begin to comprehend what was going on, they were soon thrown in the middle of Chaos' bombardment. Jab after jab, hit after hit...It was almost as if Yellow felt the stings of the attack herself! That, or the guilt of falling for such a trap was hurting her. To Red, it seemed like she made the latter obvious.

"Leo, use Tackle!"

And just as the Fury Attack ended, Leo rocketed forward with his own Tackle. He thrust his head at Rattata, knocking him into Charmander.

"Ah! Are you alright, you two?" Yellow asked in panic. Thankfully for the blonde, her Pokemon were made of sterner stuff. "That's good. Are you able to keep fighting?" The two nodded vigorously, Charmander moreso.

"Seems like Leaf is giving it her all out there," Red murmured, watching the battle continue. His voice caught the attention of Pikachu, who made exaggerated hand motions to reenact Chaos diving down at her opponents. Then, he pointed to the girl in the straw hat. Something about her seemed... Well, Pikachu couldn't really describe it. Red, too, raised an eyebrow, unsure of how she was feeling at the moment. "I can't tell whether it's a good feeling, a bad feeling, or both..."

Meanwhile, Yellow's Charmander's aim was true, as his Ember made its mark on Leaf's Spearow. To the side, Rattata gnawed on Leo's head. He kept his grip, while Leo flailed his arms wildly and ran back and forth. Leaf was about to tell her Squirtle to retreat into his shell, but before she could finish speaking, Chaos lunged forward for a Peck. The Spearow's attack had enough force behind it to knock the purple Mouse Pokemon off her partner. Upon recovery, said partner rubbed his head and gave her a 'thank you' pat on the back. Chaos looked away at first, bothered by the fact that she was being thanked for doing something she was obligated to do.

"Your Pokemon work quite well together, Leaf," Yellow noted.

Leaf grinned. "Chaos will probably never admit it, but even though she and Leo haven't known each other for very long, they're pretty much best buds! They've got each other's backs, and I've got theirs!" To this, Chaos muttered to herself, merely wanting to get back to the battle.

"They've got each other's backs..." Yellow repeated in a hushed manner. "She has theirs, too..." Her tone was neither positive nor negative, though Leaf couldn't help but wonder what was on that girl's mind. If the blonde wasn't feeling upset, then... Well, the look on her face made it hard to tell.

Suddenly, Yellow's thoughts were interrupted, as she heard something bump into Leaf's Squirtle. The moment she heard a high pitched cry was the moment she opened her eyes and saw a pink Pokemon fall to the ground. The shape of its body somewhat resembled a star and a tuft of fur curled over its forehead. Leaf ran up to the new Pokemon, obviously worried for its current condition. Everyone gathered around the strange Pokemon (although left enough room so they wouldn't invade its personal space!) and noticed that it had multiple scratch marks on its chest, along with one or two bruises.

"Cle... Clefairy..." the Pokemon whimpered.

"Here," Leaf said, taking out a potion. "This should fix you right up." But as soon as she knelt down to heal the Clefairy, it took multiple steps back.

It then bumped into Pikachu, who didn't look like he meant harm. "Pika pi," he said, indicating that no one was here to hurt it.

Clefairy froze for a second, but in that time, Leaf placed a hand on its head. She didn't hold it down so hard that it would cause pain, but she was firm enough so Clefairy couldn't move. Afterwards, the pink Pokemon felt stings where its scratch marks were. That was the potion's magic at work. Leaf aimed the medicine at the last scratch mark and sprayed. Just like before, the liquid's contact with the wound made Clefairy shut its eyes tightly. The pain it felt made it want to hold its chest even more tenderly, but Leaf stopped her, telling her that it would only do more harm to itself.

Just as promised, the pain disappeared. Though the scratches were still present, Leaf assured Clefairy that they would heal in no time.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" she teased the Pokemon.

"Cle," Clefairy said, bowing its head in gratitude. "Clefairy!"

"How did you get hurt, anyway?" Leaf asked, taking out her Pokedex. "Those wild Pokemon must have been really to beat such an adorable Pokemon like yourself, little guy! Or gal. We'll find out."

**"Clefairy: the Fairy Pokemon.**

**With its magical appeal and adorable appearance, Clefairy has many admirers and is popular as a pet. However, it is difficult to find, appearing only in areas that have ties with the Moon.****"**

**"Clefairy,**** Female**

**Type: Fairy**

**Ability: Cute Charm**

**Known Moves: Pound, Growl, Encore, Sing, Disarming Voice, Double Slap****"**

Red was curious. "'Disarming Voice'?"

"What's wrong, Red?" Yellow asked him.

"Nothing," he replied. "It's just that not many Pokemon can learn Disarming Voice. "

"Who cares?" a voice snarled. "Now that I found that Clefairy again, I'm gonna make sure it stays with me!"

A man in black clothing appeared from the entrance of Mt Moon. The huge 'R' on his shirt rubbed them all the wrong way. The man's very presence was enough to petrify passersby as he stormed over to Red, Leaf and Yellow for the Clefairy. The three friends immediately formed a wall around the Fairy Pokemon, while their own Pokemon jumped in front of them and readied themselves. Upon seeing the vicious looking human, Clefairy cowered behind Leaf.

"You must have been the one who hurt Clefairy!" Leaf hissed, pointing a finger at the man.

"And what if I was?" he sneered. "The little runt wouldn't do a thing I told it to! I'm gonna get that Pokemon back, and I'm gonna show it what happens when you mess with me!" Taking one step at a time, he cracked his knuckles.

"Y-You can't use force to get someone to do something for you!" Yellow reprimanded him.

"Oh, yes we can!" The man pointed to the R on his shirt, his scowl turning into a wicked grin. "We're Team Rocket, Pokemon gangsters! We strike fear in people's hearts with our strength!" The proclamation sent a chill down some people's spines, while others cowered in terror. One or two simply hightailed out of there! Red and his friends, however, wouldn't. Some time before starting their journeys, a few news reports brought some of Team Rocket's schemes to light.

Upon remembering a report of such an incident, a spark set off in Red's mind. "So, you're the criminal organization that's been going around stealing people's Pokemon!"

"Hmm, yes... What of it?"

"How could you? Don't you care about the Pokemon's feelings? The bonds they shared with their trainers!?"

"And what are you gonna do about it? You're just a bunch of kids!" A cackle rang in the air. He eyed each of the three runts who dared to stand in Team Rocket's way, but he stopped when he saw Yellow's face. "Huh? You must be..."

Yellow took a step back, unsure of what the grunt meant.

"Oh yeah!" the man in black then laughed. "I was there when Joe wrecked you in that battle yesterday! Gwa ha ha ha ha!"

_'Sticks and stones, Yellow... Sticks and stones...' _

As Yellow tried to assure herself with those thoughts, she couldn't help but feel something well up in her eyes. Under shut lips, she gritted her teeth, fighting back the pain with all she could. No. She wouldn't cry. Not in front of bullies like Team Rocket! Red and Leaf, however, had had enough. It was one thing to ruin Pokemon's lives, but to mock a dear friend of theirs... That crossed the line!

"Oh, so you want a fight, do ya?" It was then that the grunt decided to stop having fun and start being serious. He took out three Poke Balls and threw them all, releasing three Pokemon at once.

The Rattata was a Pokemon everyone was familiar with, but there were two new faces: the blue bat with purple wings and the creature with the yellow hide.

**"Zubat: the Bat Pokemon.**

**It has no eyes. Instead, it relies on cries that emit ultrasonic waves to identify and approach targets. Zubat flits about and forms colonies in darkness."**

**"Sandshrew: the Mouse Pokemon.**

**It burrows and lives underground in arid locations far away from water. It only emerges to hunt for food. If Sandshrew is threatened, it curls itself up into a ball for protection."**

"Okay, you runts. Attack!"

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Oh man... A scary grunt vs three up-and-coming trainers. I think the results are fairly obvious!

In my profile, I said that I hoped not to keep you guys waiting for the next chapter for more than two weeks. Spoilers for readers months into the future: I failed.

For that, apologies for the late chapter! You'd think that, with summer finally beginning, I'd have more free time to refine my chapters before uploading. That wasn't the case in these past two weeks, as I was asked to help out a family friend at work. It's been a _very_ busy time, I was able to squeeze in the occasional review. Oh, and Happy Late Independence Day! To those of you who didn't/don't celebrate it, I hope you guys had a great day, week, m- oh wait, now's not the time for that! Now, this third point is the most important. Take notes.

I had (and still have) quite a handful of prewritten chapters, but when I looked back on them, I realized that I could have done some things a little better. Instead of uploading what I had and calling it a day, I decided to edit my chapters and add in extra details or take out any that are unnecessary. During this process, I found that there were gaps in Red and Leaf's journey that I wanted to flesh out as full-fledged chapters (this was one of them, for those who were curious). Combined, they took the novelization in a slightly different direction from what I originally intended. Was it for better or for worse? Well, after I compared the final versions of the Prologue and Chapters 1-7 to earlier versions, I realized that I made the right decision! To ensure that I keep my novelization in this new direction, I'll have to rewrite some future chapters from the ground up and possibly write new chapters altogether. This will take time and could halt 'Quest To Be The Best''s progress, depending on the circumstances of the chapter.

Now, you might be thinking that it's too early to make such a decision. After all, Red's only got the Boulder Badge as of this chapter. Well, it took over a month's worth of chapters to get to that point, when other stories blaze through to the Pewter Gym in only two weeks' worth! Besides, a long while ago, I've come to terms with the fact that I'm a slight perfectionist, which ultimately drove me to make this choice. I'll do my best not to take an eternity to upload future chapters, but I can no longer promise when the next chapters will come. In the beginning, I told you guys that I 'worked pretty hard on this one'. Well, my work is not done.

My sincerest apologies to anyone who wants to set my butt on fire for my decision, and a huge thank you to those who will stick by me as I go along.

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**-Have a great day, week, month, whatever, and stay upbeat, y'all!-**


	9. Chapter 8: Prepare for Trouble

**I own no Pokemon characters. Credits to Game Freak.**

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**-Chapter 8: Prepare for Trouble-**

* * *

"Okay, you runts. Attack!"

The grunt's Rattata, Zubat and Sandshrew all bared their fangs and charged forward on command. His Rattata went in for a tackle, Zubat swooped down to sink its teeth into its next victim and Sandshrew readied a claw. If he were to face a random trainer on the road, said trainer would have shaken at the sight of his Pokemon. The Rattata and Sandshrew's eyes appeared more menacing than the average members of their species, while Zubat were frightening in general! Even Red, Leaf and Yellow were taken aback by their enemies' ferocity, but they couldn't back down.

Pikachu zapped Zubat with Thunder Shock, instantly knocking it out. To the side, Leo shot a flurry of bubbles from his mouth at Sandshrew, but despite the super effective attack, it still managed to hold on. Charmander's Ember was avoided by the enemy Rattata at first, but a second attempt at close range did serious damage.

With a growl, the Team Rocket grunt returned his Zubat. "Worthless Pokemon," he muttered.

"Don't blame the Zubat itself for being knocked out!" Red reprimanded him.

"Don't tell me what to do, you! Rattata, Sandshrew, get the boy's yellow rat!"

Neither Leaf nor Yellow would allow that to happen. Before his Rattata and Sandshrew got moving, Leaf's Spearow beat them to it and jabbed both of them in the face, leaving quite a mark on them. After the man in black demanded that they snap out of it, Yellow's own Rattata gave them another distraction in the form of Tail Whip. They were easily entranced by the curled tail's movement.

He gawked at the sight of it. "What the heck?"

"Rattata, use Tackle!"

Before the grunt's Rattata could get a hold of itself, Yellow's Rattata knocked in over to the other side of the battlefield. He reared back to do the same to Sandshrew, but on command, the Ground type Pokemon curled itself up to buffer the knockback.

"That's it!" the grunt declared, after seeing that his Rattata was nearly down and out. "Sandshrew, use Magnitude!"

"What!?" Red responded in shock. "But that'll finish off your Rattata!"

"I don't care! Sandshrew, let 'em have it!"

Immediately, Sandshrew jumped in the air and stomped on the ground. The result was a quake that shook everyone that was standing. Stabilizing herself as best as she could, Leaf lowered herself to pick up the Clefairy that was standing behind her. Chaos flew up in the air, but upon further instructions, dived back down to hold Yellow's Rattata in the air. Leaf, Red and Yellow then called for Leo, Pikachu and Charmander to return. Pikachu, hating Poke Balls, had the most difficult time getting back, as he stumbled every now and then because of the Magnitude. Under the super effective quake, Pikachu just managed to make it to Red. Red held him with one arm and sent out Butterfree with the other.

Unfortunately for the grunt's Rattata, it had no help available. The tremors caused it to fall down over and over, until it couldn't take anymore and stayed down. It was then that the Magnitude died down.

"How?" the man growled. "How are your Pokemon still standing?"

"They're flying, bub!" Leaf replied before sticking her tongue out.

"You know what!? Sandshrew, jump and use Scratch!"

Sandshrew weren't the best at jumping, but nevertheless, this particular one did as told, bending down and leaping into the air as it reared a claw.

"Butterfree, use Confusion!"

Before it could reach its greatest height, Butterfree flew in, eyes glowing blue. The same colored outline than appeared around Sandshrew, who found itself unable to move a limb. Before long, it found itself plummeting downward and crashing into the ground. Amidst the resulting cloud of dust, Sandshrew let out a weak whine and fell unconscious. The grunt cried exasperatedly, though he kept further thoughts to himself as he returned Sandshrew.

"You!" he then said, pointing to the three who had humiliated him. "You'll regret this one day!" Leaving everyone with no words to counter that claim with, he turned around and stormed off. As his figure disappeared into Mt Moon, the bystanders had it in them to mumble among themselves about what had happened. Even for a brief moment, three kids were able to fend off Team Rocket!

After returning Butterfree, Red merely had his eyes on the entrance to the cave. If that one grunt came from Mt Moon, that must have meant that more Team Rocket members were there, too! Just what heinous plans were they up to, anyway? He definitely didn't like what he heard of the villainous team, but running into one of its members in person... Yeah, he still didn't like them. Pikachu noticed that his partner was in such deep thought. He, too, turned to the entrance to Mt Moon and kept staring in. Meanwhile, Leaf and Yellow tended to their own Pokemon, as well as Clefairy. Clefairy wasn't just worried for herself, however. She pointed to the entrance of her home and told the girls what she thought would happen. Well, in her own Pokemon language, anyway.

"Team Rocket must be here to kidnap all of the Clefairy in Mt Moon," Leaf told Red.

"Then, we have to stop them. Who knows what they'll do with the Clefairy?"

With that, the three stepped inside.

* * *

Only Yellow had visited Mt Moon once, but other than that, no one had visited a cave of any kind before.

The environment they were in was such a contrast compared to the grassy routes they traveled through. There were less colors in a cave, brown and gray being everywhere. Despite this, Mt Moon was much larger than Viridian Forest. There was plenty of space for heat to spread across, making the place quite cold, perhaps colder than Viridian Forest. Curious, Leaf placed a hand on a wall. She wasn't surprised to find that it was a little moist. Upon looking up, she also noticed a few stalactites above her and everyone else. Before she could look down, she felt a small water droplet fall and splash on the tip of her nose. She must have gone cross-eyed to try and see that aftereffect!

"Where could Team Rocket be in all of this?" Red wondered aloud.

"Large place, huh?" Leaf added, wiping the water off her nose. "Strangely quiet, though..."

Yellow frowned. "Why would Team Rocket disturb the peace here?"

"It hasn't just been today, too," Red said. "The 'man in black' you talked about at the Pokemon Center... If that was a member of Team Rocket, it can only mean that they've been operating in this area for at least a couple days."

There was a momentary silence. Team Rocket were _still_ in the area. Whoever was able to stop them, they must have been frightened for whatever reason. Otherwise, Team Rocket should have been long gone from Mt Moon! Red supposed that it was up to him and his friends to at least try and do something. It was better than nothing at all! The thought lingered in his mind as he and the others walked. Looking around, they noticed man-made lights hung all over the place. Other trainers saw it as a blessing because they no longer needed flashlights to be able to see further ahead.

It bothered Leaf, though.

"Mt Moon's normally darker than this, you must be thinking?" Red asked, having noticed her troubled expression.

"It is," she answered. "In fact, it's been like that for so long, the Pokemon in here can't imagine life without the dark. With all these lights about, their natural habitat has changed so much in so little time, they can't help but be agitated!"

"And they must be hiding because they feel threatened, as a result of this sudden change," Red finished for her, understanding what she was talking about.

"Do you know who put up all of these lights?" Yellow spoke up.

"I was thinking the Kanto League did this to make Mt Moon safer for people to travel," Leaf replied. "But, I might be wrong. They probably want trainers to test themselves by exploring caves like this without help. Besides, the League should know better than to disrupt the wild Pokemon's environment! At least, I hope they do..."

Clefairy looked down, worry in her eyes. She feared for her friends and family and wondered how they were taking this sudden change to their natural habitat. Knowing that something was up with his new friend, Pikachu hopped down from Red's shoulder and accompanied her on the ground. The Fairy Pokemon couldn't help but smile. Pikachu really was a friendly little guy. So far, it seemed that she was a shy Pokemon (that, or circumstances have made her more wary). She did have the right, though. She was a member of a somewhat rare species.

It would have been a treat for Red to take one under his wing, but he guessed that the human that this particular Clefairy took the biggest liking towards was Leaf. Leaf was the one who healed Clefairy and was also the one Clefairy hid behind from that first Rocket grunt. Red knew to respect whatever decision she would make after this whole incident was taken care of. Besides, it would have been an honor for either of them to own one at all. And lurking around Mt Moon was Team Rocket, who had plans to steal them all! However, there were no signs of the villainous team as of this point.

Red couldn't decide whether that was a good or bad thing.

Further into the cave, Leaf suddenly stopped walking. It took a second or two for the others to realize and turn around. They noticed Leaf looking at something on the ground. It was oval in shape. Though it was a deep black, it seemed to shine at certain angles. Leaf was beaming, knowing what it was.

"A moon stone!"

Red got a closer look. "Wow, nice find, Leaf!"

Leaf knelt down and faced the little pink Pokemon. "Check it out, Clefairy. You guys can use this thing to evolve!"

"Clef? Clefairy!" The thought of growing up and evolving into a mature Clefable was an exciting one for the young Fairy type.

As Leaf placed the stone in her satchel, she wondered something. "You know, guys, these moon stones were said to have come from space. They also cause certain Pokemon to evolve. Now that I have one, I can't help but think that maybe, just maybe... Maybe there are Pokemon that come from space!"

"You really think so?" Red asked in a intrigued tone as Yellow tilted her head in curiosity.

The three continued walking as Leaf spoke. "Well, there's a Pokemon called Cleffa, the pre-evolved form of Clefairy. Apparently, every time a meteorite lands, people always find one of those cuties nearby. Since meteorites come from space and there's always a Cleffa near a landed meteorite, perhaps the entire Cleffa line come from space!"

"Oh, goody!" a voice snickered to himself. "A group of Clefairy!"

Having heard this, Red, Leaf and Yellow gasped. The tone in his voice, the words he actually said... That had to be another member of Team Rocket! There was no time to lose. The three ran at breakneck pace. They stopped at the sight of a man in black with his back turned to the group, towering over several pink Pokemon. The Clefairy beside Leaf pointed to the group of frightened Pokemon and then gestured to each and every one of them. As she did so, she spoke in her species' language, concern lacing her voice. It was clear to Leaf that the Clefairy were family.

"What are you doing to them!?" Red demanded.

"Let all of them go!" Yellow pleaded.

The grunt turned around and smirked. "If you think I'm gonna let a bunch of brats tell me what to do, you must be out of your-" Before he could finish his sentence, he noticed Yellow try to hide her face with her straw hat. The moment she saw his face, she immediately regretted opening her mouth. Hah, but this grunt never forgot! "So, you haven't learned your lesson from yesterday, girlie. You must think you're so tough, telling me to let the Clefairy go!"

Seeing the girl again made him want to put her in her place once again. Only a day had passed since they last battled - technically, not even a whole twenty four hours! How could she win this time? Unless... Those friends she brought with her... They must have been her backup! Meanwhile, Yellow debated whether to go for a rematch or not. Last time, she wasn't prepared. But... There was that training with Leaf not too long ago. Perhaps she could use the experience she gained and put the grunt in his place! There was a problem, though. Seeing him again made Yellow somewhat unsettled. In fact, it made made her palms sweat a little.

Time seemed to slow down as she thought.

What would Red and Leaf do?

"You... You need to be stopped now," Yellow said finally. "Even if you drove me away from this cave the first time..."

The grunt cackled. "You challenging me, you runt!? You can't be serious!"

"I-I am."

This prompted surprised looks from Red and Leaf, the former of whom told his friend, "Yellow, don't feel that you have to do this! Just because he did-"

"-beat you once, that doesn't mean he can do it again!" Leaf declared. She knew full well that she interrupted Red, who clearly had concerns, so she said to him in a hushed tone, "I know. He's Team Rocket, but Yellow needs to do this." Reluctantly, Red complied.

"Fine!" the grunt said to Yellow meanwhile. "If you won't stay put, I'll make you!" Keeping an eye on the blonde, he reached into his pocket for a Poke Ball and threw it.

The Pokemon in front of him was unlike anything that Red and Leaf had seen so far. This unkempt, tawny colored rat gnashed its fangs so hard, one would think that it accidentally broke them. No, not one chip fell out. Its fangs remained strong. In fact, they were probably strong enough to gnaw through steel! Upon seeing Yellow, the Pokemon had a certain expression on its face, the kind that bullies normally have when seeing their victims once again. It was either just this particular member of the species, or Yellow just had to get used to this Pokemon's appearance...

...because it was the evolved form of Rattata: Raticate!

**"Raticate: the Mouse Pokemon.**

**Raticate's rear feet are webbed, enabling to swim across rivers and hunt down prey that way. Its whiskers help it to maintain balance. If they are cut off, Raticate is much slower."**

Before Yellow could take out a Poke Ball, a red light shot out from where Yellow was about to reach. She found herself taken aback when she saw her Charmander appear in front of her. If that wasn't enough, he let a shout at the evolved Pokemon, who merely snorted. That response ignited a fire in the Lizard Pokemon's eyes, a fire that burned as much as that of his tail. With his feet firm on the ground, he turned to his trainer and gave her an assured look. It was like his training outside Mt Moon, but in his book, the stakes were much higher. Since they battled once before, however, Yellow assumed that Charmander just wanted to get back at Raticate.

"We can do it this time," she said to him.

"Char!"

"Raticate, use Quick Attack!" the grunt commanded, not giving Yellow anymore time to get ready.

Raticate scurried in the direction it was facing, but its feet got moving faster and faster, until the entire body left behind a white trail. The grunt smirked at the fact that Yellow hadn't given a command yet. The poor girl must have been so frightened, she didn't know what to do! However, even though Yellow's heart raced on, she stood her ground. Charmander was willing to take the stand and make the fight, so she needed to steel herself, too. After all, the grunt used that same move first before. She had to be ready.

"Charmander, use Scratch!"

Charmander reared a hand back and readied as strong of a Scratch as possible. Both attacks collided, sending both Pokemon reeling back. Raticate was the first to get back up and was ready to dish out more pain, while Charmander took quite a bit longer to muster enough energy to pick himself up. He could see that the odds were against him. Raticate was stronger, simply because it was an evolved Pokemon. When Yellow last fought the Rocket grunt, it made quick work of both him and Rattata!

"Quick Attack again!" the Team Rocket grunt ordered.

"Use Ember, Charmander!" Yellow called out.

Raticate burst forward, just as fast as it did previously. In an attempt to intimidate its opponent, it let a growl escape its mouth. Charmander was not fazed by it. Much. Instead of responding with another close range attack, he followed Yellow's idea of an indirect approach by shooting bolts of fire from his mouth. Raticate didn't expect the little lizard to actually make another move and was caught off guard by the fiery attack. Each flame that collided made a miniature explosion, the accumulation of which obscured the rat from sight. Yellow breathed a sigh of relief and was glad that the attack made its mark on such a fierce opponent.

"See? Nothing to worry about!" Leaf said to Red.

But as much as he wanted to believe that Yellow would win, he knew that the fight wouldn't end so quickly. In time, the smoke cleared, revealing Raticate remaining on its feet. Its whiskers twitched as it gnashed its fangs once again. It was seeing red, and that lizard was really going to have it now!

"Just a lucky shot," the grunt muttered. Directing his attention to Raticate, he made his next command. "Hyper Fang!"

"Ah! Keep Raticate away with Ember!"

Charmander unleashed a flurry of flames again, but with more ferocity than last time. Raticate was obviously not playing around anymore (if it had been playing around at all!), so it had to be taken down quickly. Little did he know, Raticate was ready for his Ember this time. The scruffy Mouse Pokemon sidestepped from the Ember, leaving behind the miniature explosions. After gritting his teeth slightly, Charmander used the attack again. Raticate swiftly sidestepped to the other side, dodging the attack again.

"Jump back, Charmander, and keep using Ember!"

At the peak of his backflip, the Lizard Pokemon used the attack a fourth time. Still, he couldn't land the hit. Charmander kept his trust in Yellow and constantly jumped back, firing Ember over and over again, but Raticate was slowly gaining on him, closing the distance faster than he could open it up.

In truth, Yellow still didn't have the best clue what to do against the evolved Pokemon. However, she thought back to her double battle with Leaf. Leaf was able to strategize on the spot and she was one of Yellow's best friends. Something had to have rubbed off on the straw-hatted girl, so she had to be able to come up with something soon! Of course, in times like this, hoping for the best sometimes leads to experiencing the worst.

"Stop messing around!" the grunt snarled at his Pokemon. "Get that lizard with Hyper Fang!" Raticate was finally so close to Charmander, one forward lunge was enough to pin him to the ground. It then brandished its fangs, getting a load of the terrified look on the lizard's face, before biting down.

The poor victim cried in agony as Raticate's fangs clamped to the side of his face, the sound of his voice making Yellow yelp in despair. Red and Leaf became more and more panicked for their friend, though the member of Team Rocket grinned in satisfaction. This would surely put an end to the girl's attempts to defy him! Through the pain, Charmander clenched his fists, attempting to fight back the urge to scream again. That was exactly what Raticate wanted. He couldn't let it have anymore of a one up on him that it already did, but that only made Raticate tighten its grip even more. A grunt escaped Charmander's mouth, as he was still unwilling to give in.

He may have lost to this overgrown rat once before, and he may have failed his trainer once before, but...

...he wouldn't let it happen again!

All of a sudden, some kind of orange aura began to surround Charmander's body. It was apparently very hot to the touch, since Raticate removed its fangs from its opponent and backed far away from him. As Charmander rose from the ground, the flame at the tip of his tail danced more frantically than before and took on a golden yellow color rather than the usual reddish orange. The Clefairy next to Leaf clung onto her leg, watching the scene in dismay, and the rest of the Clefairy huddled among themselves. No one could hold back their shock and surprise at the sight before them, especially Yellow, who took a small step back with her mouth agape. What was happening to her Charmander?

"Blaze...!" Red and Leaf gasped.

"B-Blaze?" Yellow repeated, not knowing what it was or whether she should be frightened or not. However, from the look of her Pokemon's flame, it had to be a good thing, right?

"When Charmander takes a lot of damage, Blaze is triggered," Red said to her. "With it, his Fire type moves will become a lot stronger!"

"Charmander must have been so determined to win, that feeling must have made him able to tap into Blaze's power," Leaf mused.

"You... wanted to win that much?" Yellow hesitantly asked Charmander, who nodded fiercely before turning back to Raticate. "Okay, then. Use Ember!"

Charmander had an amazing feeling inside him. It was like the flame that burned at the tip of his tail everyday, but multiplied several times over. Yes, this power... This power was just what he needed! The Fire type Pokemon opened his mouth to use Ember. Instead of little bolts of fire, he unleashed a barrage of larger fireballs.

The Team Rocket grunt tried his darnedest to remain scary. "I-It doesn't matter how much power that lizard has. It's still too weak! Raticate, use Hyper Fang again!"

But Raticate was petrified by the sheer power Charmander seemed to possess. It couldn't even try to get out of there. One by one, the fireballs blasted into the Mouse Pokemon, doing an immense amount of damage and sending it flying towards its owner, who closed his eyes as he braced for impact. Thanks to the force of such large knockback, the two were thrown back and to the ground. After a second or two, they opened their eyes. Charmander stood there, with that aura still radiating from him. Yellow stood behind him, amazed at what her Pokemon became capable of in a pinch.

"This wouldn't have happened if you just finished it off like last time...!" the grunt hissed through his teeth, apathetic towards Raticate's quivering voice. "Get out there and end this!" As Raticate scurried forward to face Charmander, it sure wished his owner would just recall it. It did _not _want to face its opponent's wrath right now! "Use Quick Attack!"

"I'm sorry to do this, Raticate... Charmander, use Ember one more time!"

Ironic for the one who was told to use Quick Attack, for Raticate wasn't moving very quickly at all. And how could it? If a Blaze-powered Ember took that much out of it already, it didn't even want to imagine what would happen when the next Ember came its way. As the rat's feet got it moving, it suddenly lost its balance, and also some speed, making it unable to sidestep away. The last thing Raticate saw before being knocked out was one fireball burning brightly, just like Charmander's tail flame.

The man in black scowled as he recalled his Pokemon.

"Darn it all!" he roared, making all of the Clefairy jump. "How could such a small lizard beat me!?" There was no response, though he heard the family of Fairy Pokemon mutter to each other in fear. A second passed, and a wicked smirk pulled at the corners of his mouth. Slowly, he pulled out a small metallic sphere from his pocket. "You may have won this round, but you'll leave now if you know what's good for you!"

Having said this, he threw the sphere down, resulting in dark smoke exploding out of it. Everyone cried out in shock before covering their eyes, as well as their mouths after breaking into coughing fits.

As the smoke cleared, they found that the grunt had disappeared.

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**Author's Notes**

A very Yellow-centric chapter. After I came up with the idea of having her encounter with Team Rocket transition into Red and Leaf finding them on Mt Moon, I knew that I wanted to write a revenge match for her. And what better way to do that than have her face the most infamous evolved form of the earlygame, Raticate on Mt Moon? Overall, it's not that great of a Pokemon, but in the original R/B/Y, it has high enough attack to do a lot of damage to your team (which is most likely filled with unevolved Pokemon). In FR/LG, it was replaced with a Rattata and another Pokemon, I believe, to balance the difficulty curve at that point.

The last ability featured in the novelization was Blue's Eevee's Adaptability, though it's more of a 'passive ability' (one that is there at all times, rather than activating in certain situations). I figured that Yellow's Charmander would be the perfect candidate to use to introduce the latter type of abilities. Blaze, Torrent, Overgrow and Swarm activate when the Pokemon is severely weakened, which is perfect for him because he was fueled by the desire to redeem himself for losing yesterday. I'm quite pleased with how I described Blaze. In addition to the aura itself, I incorporated the idea of different colored flames being hotter as a signal that, hey, you don't want to mess with this guy anymore! However, know that the main characters of my novelization won't be overly reliant on 'activate abilities' (passive abilities can't really be dealt with), just so things don't become too easy for them.

Mt Moon was originally one chapter, but because of bringing back Yellow and introducing the circumstances she was in, I had to split it into two. In fact, I may have to split up multiple future chapters to accommodate for expanding on some scenes, a couple of which I'm debating whether to split into two or three! This will increase my chapter count by quite a bit. The longest that a novelization of mine has been so far is twenty five chapters (I always include the Prologue and Final Chapter with these tallies). I'm predicting that 'Quest To Be The Best' will beat that by such a _loooooong_ shot, it's both hilarious and daunting to think about!

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**-Have a great day, week, month, whatever, and stay upbeat, y'all!-**


	10. Chapter 9: Make It Double

**I own no Pokemon characters. Credits to Game Freak.**

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**-Chapter 9: Make It Double-**

* * *

After the smoke had cleared, Charmander approached Yellow. The aura from his Blaze ability had disappeared since the Team Rocket grunt made his escape, along with the power he felt within him. He felt very weak, but at least he was able to defeat that Raticate... In truth, Yellow was lucky that his ability activated when he needed it, when she needed some spark of hope.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly. He nodded once, for that was how much energy he could spare. He couldn't stop himself from falling into the arms of his trainer, who whispered words of thanks to him. "Charmander, please rest well," she added.

Meanwhile, Red and Leaf's first priority was to make sure that the group of Clefairy were alright. The Fairy Pokemon were sought after by several people before, but the grunt from earlier was the first person to approach them in a legitimately menacing manner. They were too frightened to even move! Luckily for them, help arrived, and Yellow even drove that bad man away! If it weren't for her and that Charmander... They didn't want to think about it. As for the one Clefairy that was with Leaf...

"What's wrong?" Leaf asked, noticing that she was looking from side to side. Wasn't she supposed to be celebrating with her family? The bad guy lost! However, after thinking about it for a moment, Leaf realized... Sure, Clefairy were rare, but one family couldn't possibly have made up the entire population of them in Mt Moon.

Apparently, Red had the same thought in his mind. "This can't be all of them," he said. "Team Rocket's probably looking for the others right now."

"Will we save them in time?" Yellow asked after she returned her Charmander.

"The sooner we start searching again, the more likely we will!"

"We better get going, then," Leaf said. She turned to Clefairy, the one she looked after since this morning. "Don't worry. You'll be just fine with your family. We'll find everyone before Team Rocket does. We won't let them disturb the peace here!"

"Clef?" The pink Pokemon looked down a little.

"We promise."

As the girl turned around to leave with her friends, Clefairy looked at the now faint scratch marks on her chest. It seemed Leaf was right about her wounds healing. That, on top of the fact that she and her friends did everything that they had done for her and her family, made her realize that humans weren't as bad as some of the other Clefairy made them out to be. Hmm... Maybe...

"Fairy... Clefairy!"

The three hadn't gotten very far when they heard Clefairy's voice. When they turned around, they saw her discussing something with the rest of her family. It must have important to her, for they listened to every word that she spoke. After she had finished, there was a second's pause. Then, she walked over to Leaf.

"Clefairy? What is it?"

The Pokemon pointed to her faint scratches. "Clef!" she chimed, before pointing to the girl herself. "Clef clef... Clefairy?"

"Clefairy, do you..." It was a wild guess, but... "Do you want to come with me?"

Clefairy was happy to know that Leaf was indeed correct! After this whole Team Rocket ordeal was over, she would be out of Mt Moon and into the rest of the world with Leaf and friends. It was the least she could do for them. At first, Leaf was shocked that such a rare Pokemon wanted to come with her at all. She didn't think that she did much. Tending to her wounds and defending her until this point were things that she felt she had to do. But, if this was what Clefairy wanted, Leaf was more than welcome to take her in.

She took out an empty Poke Ball and lightly tapped it on the Pokemon's head. Clefairy found herself engulfed in a red light, which was shut inside the spherical capsule. Then, it shook once, twice, three times, before glowing briefly.

Clefairy had been caught.

"You'd be an excellent trainer to Clefairy, Leaf," Red said, smiling.

Yellow noticed the Poke Ball shake lightly. "She seems happy already," she added.

"Hee hee! Thanks, guys! Now, what to name you...?"

Leaf looked down at her newly caught Pokemon. She didn't want to call her 'Clefairy' anymore. No, just as she did with her Squirtle and Spearow, she thought of a nickname to give to her. Names like 'Tinka' and 'Navi' came to mind, but they weren't exactly perfect.

"'Cosmo'? No, actually... How about 'Wanda'?" The Poke Ball that housed the Clefairy suddenly made a small hop, as if the Pokemon inside approved of the name. "Alright, then. Wanda it is!"

Naturally, while the rest of Wanda's family were happy that she was becoming more independent, they also worried for what would happen if something were to go wrong. After all, not only was there Team Rocket inside Mt Moon, but there were also bound to be all sorts of people that were aggressive as them. Hunters, poachers, you name it! Wanda knew of these dangers. However, that was part of what she was talking to her family about before asking Leaf if she could come with her. She assured them that everything would be fine, especially since the humans in front of them proved to be a decent lot.

"You can count on me to look after her. We'll also stop Team Rocket together!" Leaf said to the Clefairy family, before she and her friends waved and turned around to leave once more. "Wish us luck, everyone! Bye bye!"

With their farewells exchanged, Red, Leaf and Yellow continued to explore Mt Moon.

Somewhere along the way, they came across several tunnels, most of which they thought would split off into other tunnels. Light shined from each and every one, so it was assumed that whoever put up the man-made lights wanted to be thorough. After Yellow's battle with that Team Rocket grunt, Red had a bad feeling about the identity of the person (or people) responsible. He put those thoughts aside, though, as everyone wondered which way to take.

A light bulb went off in Leaf's mind. "Wait a second... I have an idea!" With a toss of the ball, her Clefairy came out. "Hey, Wanda, could you help us?"

"Clef! Clefairy?" Wanda chimed in response.

"Those Team Rocket goons will most likely target the parts of Mt Moon where you guys hang out most often. Could you lead us to these places?" Wanda nodded eagerly and began to walk on ahead, prompting everyone else to follow.

With Wanda leading the way, the mission to rescue the Clefairy went more smoothly than originally expected. Mt Moon became more maze-like the further in everyone went, but she was there to point in the right direction. Since she had lived in Mt Moon for so long, she knew the popular gathering spots for the other Clefairy like the tuft on her forehead. These spots were few and far between, however, for there weren't many Clefairy compared to other species of Pokemon. Zubat, Sandshrew, Paras (insectoid Pokemon with mushrooms on their backs) and Geodude (boulder Pokemon with muscular arms) took up the majority of the cave. Regardless, Wanda did her best to lead Leaf and the others over as fast as possible.

For every Clefairy that lived in Mt Moon, there were about two or three grunts after it. They used different means to capture the Pokemon, though none of them resulted in success. The 'tried and true' fear approach was stopped by Red, a variety of traps were disarmed by Leaf, and lies were seen through by Yellow. These, combined with Wanda's navigation, seemed to ensure that they would put a stop to Team Rocket...

* * *

"Sir Proton, I... have a report..."

Near the eastern exit of Mt Moon was where an uneasy atmosphere loomed and two Team Rocket members stood. The one called 'Sir Proton' crossed his arms, glaring at his shorter subordinate with piercing green eyes. He already had a lot in his mind as it was, and only good news would cast those thoughts aside. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't going to get anything near that.

"We've... hit a snag in our plans."

"What? How? All you idiots have to do is round up puny Fairy Pokemon and bring them here!"

"Y-yes, sir, but..." If looks could kill, he'd... probably be dead. To spare himself of anymore pain, he decided to get straight to the point. "There's three kids running around the place. Somehow, they're defeating us one by one and freeing all of the Clefairy...!"

Arms still crossed, Proton pressed even harder on them. Frustration boiled inside him, for he couldn't understand how little children could defeat a group of adults. Perhaps these grunts weren't as competent as the boss said they were! Darn it, what did he see in them, anyway? Usually, Proton would shout harsh words when he found out that his subordinates failed him. This time, however, he simply walked away.

"If you want something done right, do it yourself..." he murmured, adjusting the sleeves that reached just above his elbows.

"Sir Proton?"

Proton turned to the grunt. "Prepare a helicopter, tell everyone that I ordered them to wait for it outside, and return to base. I'll make sure those kids regret crossing paths with Team Rocket."

"But sir... What about-"

"Were you not listening to me?" he rebuked the grunt, impatience slipping into anger with every word. "I will deal with the intruders! Obviously, you all are useless, so pack your things and _get out!_"

"Y-Y-Yes, Sir P-Proton!" came the stuttered response. The man's face didn't verge on turning red this time, but shouting at even a moderate level was enough to strike fear in any recipient's heart. The grunt shakily took some steps back before scurrying out of Mt Moon to do what he was told to. The footsteps quickly grew quieter.

Proton unclipped two Poke Balls from his belt, smirking evilly. "Whoever you kids are, you will soon see why call me the scariest member of Team Rocket!"

* * *

Not too far away, another grunt stood in front of his target. He took amusement in the expression on the Pokemon's face, but he knew that he didn't have much time to dawdle. He had gotten word of his orders and was about to carry them out. After running into a little Clefairy along the way, though, he just had to take advantage of the moment. Perhaps if he showed it to Sir Proton, he'd get that promotion after all! His Zubat was perched on top of his shoulder, making an equivalent expression to his owner's and unbeknownst to what this Clefairy was like. They were usually shy, so this one had to be, too, right?

A Pound attack to the face told the grunt otherwise.

His Pokemon fell down as he reared back, clutching his cheek. "Oh, I see. A tough one, huh? Well, I know how to deal with you! Zubat, get up and use Leech Life!" Zubat let out a squeal and then did as told. It pushed itself off the ground with its wings and took flight. It swooped upward before lashing its fangs at Clefairy and diving down. The grunt smirked. That would show that runty fairy!

The Bat Pokemon wasn't anywhere near Clefairy before it was suddenly knocked back in the opposite direction. And that was not the result of another Pound!

"Zu!?" Zubat flitted around, looking back and forth for the one who dared to get in its way. Then, it heard a determined cry, directing its attention to right in front of it. Standing before the Team Rocket grunt and his Pokemon... was a Pikachu?

The sounds of footsteps got the man's attention. "What the...?" he muttered. After turning around, he growled at the sight of three kids and a Clefairy looking defiantly at him. The Clefairy that he almost had in his grasp ran to Wanda and told her everything.

The boy with the cap turned to one of the girls. "Leaf, Wanda said that this was the last one, right?"

"So, you're the intruders," the grunt said. "Don't you know that we're pulling a big job here?"

"Is your 'job' to steal all of the Clefairy from their home?" Leaf asked sharply. Before the grunt could even look at the two Fairy Pokemon, she stepped in front of them to block them from his sight.

"Why are you and your group doing this?" Yellow added, clasping her hands.

"You kids wouldn't understand. Now, I'm gonna-"

"I'll do the talking here, grunt," a fifth voice suddenly piped up, though it didn't come from either of the kids. Everyone looked around to find the person whose voice it was, while said person slowly approached them. The grunt gasped when he saw him from behind, and he quickly saluted him in his presence (but if that was an attempt to get on his superior's good side, it failed completely). "I thought I told you to wait for the helicopter outside," the taller man said with a scowl.

The grunt still maintained his salute as he spoke. "Yes, Sir Proton, you did, but on my way out, I noticed a Clefairy walking by. I thought that I could squeeze in time to-"

"What, catch it, just to lose it right away? Did you think you'd get a consolation reward for your failed efforts?" Proton's words, which came out from a venomous voice, made him slowly lower his hand from his forehead. He wanted to raise an eyebrow to convey bewilderment, but that was a disrespectful gesture to make in front of the man looking at him. "Why do you think I ordered everyone to retreat? Three kids came to this cave and 'somehow' defeated you all! If you're not capable enough to get rid of a few pesky brats, you must not be capable of anything at all!"

"But Sir Proton, those three are right over there! I can-"

"Oh, I see them, but they've made it this far. If the other grunts couldn't deal with them, you most likely can't." Caring little about how his outburst affected the grunt in front of him, Proton pointed behind himself. "Now, you'd better do as I say and leave, if you don't want your chances of a promotion to plummet even further."

Crestfallen at being denied the opportunity to prove himself to Sir Proton, the grunt took the safe option and left the area, but not before giving a glare at the three intruders. Proton let out a sigh as he watched him and his Zubat leave. That one had drive, sure, but he probably lacked the ability to back it up, if his report on everyone else was anything to go by.

While Pikachu returned to his trainer, Red, Leaf and Yellow focused their attention on this new Team Rocket member. His outfit resembled the grunts'. However, his attitude from a few seconds ago, along with how often he was called '_Sir_ Proton', gave away the fact that he had authority over the men they had faced so far. In fact, he seemed scary enough to be the boss of all of Team Rocket! Then again, one would think that the boss of a criminal organization would be busier with other things than to supervise one of their missions.

"Are you the one in charge of Team Rocket's schemes?" Red asked.

"Only this one, at the moment." The apparent higher-up turned around to face the boy, and their eyes met. "You can call me 'Executive Proton'. I'm in charge of 'Operation Moonfall'!"

As Proton's voice echoed, Yellow couldn't help but feel a shiver down her spine. "'Operation Moonfall'? Is... Is that why you're kidnapping all of the Clefairy?"

"I thought it was obvious from the name. We're interested in them because they're said to have come from space." The second part made Leaf gasp. If Team Rocket thought the same thing about Clefairy as she did, maybe... Wait, no. Proton was a part of Team Rocket! Maybe he was just making things up! Just what was there to gain from all of this, anyway? As if he was able to read her mind, Proton gave the answer. "No doubt each one will be worth a boatload of cash, especially since they're rare. If we can get our hands on all of the Clefairy in Mt Moon and sell them, Team Rocket will be rich!"

"And I suppose these lights will help you with finding them?" Leaf asked, gesturing around the cave walls. After getting a mere scoff in response, she was exasperated. "Don't you understand that you're disturbing all of the Pokemon's way of life!?"

"Do we look like we care how the Pokemon feel?" Proton responded, sneering. "Either they're obstacles in our way, or they're tools that we use to get what we want!"

Upon hearing this, Red decided that that was enough. In the time he spent with his Pikachu and Butterfree so far, he felt that they grew a bond with each other and with him. They were friends. They fought for him, fought for the Boulder Badge with him. Not once did he scold them for being useless or even consider them as tools to use on his journey. His father wouldn't have done so, and neither would he. Ever! Red stepped forward. Pikachu's cheeks crackled with lightning, apparently feeling the same as he did.

"You take that back."

The executive growled. "What was that?"

"The fact that you would think that way about Pokemon makes me sick. Capturing Clefairy for money, not caring at all what they think or how they feel... I won't let you get away with this!" Red pointed a finger at the Team Rocket member, while Pikachu cried defiantly.

Challenge accepted.

"If that's the way you want it, allow me to show you just how frightening an angry adult can be!"

He threw a Poke Ball in front of him. It opened up to reveal a purple spherical Pokemon, who had a skull-and-crossbones marking below its face. Crater like protrusions were also dotted all over its body. As a Pokemon that a Team Rocket executive owned, Red knew not to underestimate it. Unfortunately for him (and for everyone except Proton), an unpleasant smell began to waft in the air. Presumably, it came from Proton's Pokemon, but thankfully, this part of Mt Moon was not as tightly packed as other parts were.

**"Koffing: the Poison Gas Pokemon.**

**It reeks when Koffing is nearby. Its thin, balloon like body is inflated by horribly toxic gases. This can make it prone to exploding without warning!"**

"We're in for it now. You ready?" Red asked his Pikachu, who did his best to ignore the still roaming odor.

Before he could turn around to ask them, the others backed away. Leaf and Yellow saw something in Red's eyes. It was slightly different from during his first battle with Brock, Leaf noticed. That same fire didn't burn with determination to win. Yellow saw this, too. They both knew that there was no stopping him in situations like this. Wanda and her Clefairy friend were afraid of what was about to go down, so they huddled among themselves.

"Koffing, use Sludge!" Proton ordered.

"Counter with Thunder Shock!"

As Koffing floated upwards, it chuckled darkly, despite the somewhat goofy smile on its face. Then, it opened its mouth and fired purple sludge from it. The globs of the unsanitary substance rained down, threatening to cover the yellow rodent in it. With his eyes on his opponent's attack, Pikachu gave a loud cry and released several lightning bolts, each of which drove into a ball of sludge. They then exploded, causing the viscous liquid to splatter all over the place. The few stalactites that were around were coated in the purple goop.

The executive lowered his eyebrows. "Get that rat with Tackle!" he shouted. Koffing floated even higher before diving down.

"Wait for the right time, and smack it away," Red told Pikachu.

Meanwhile, Proton smirked. At the speed Koffing was moving, it was surely going to land a big hit before Pikachu could even act. Little did he know it, Pikachu was a lot nimbler than Koffing. As the Poison Gas Pokemon moved closer and closer towards him, he readied himself. Just in the nick of time, he backed away, and Koffing threw itself headfirst into the cave floor. Within the resulting dust cloud, it attempted to float back up, but before it could do so, Pikachu whacked it with his tail. Despite not being an attacking move, it still did a decent amount of damage and sent the Poison type a fair ways away.

"Nice one, Pikachu! Now, use Quick Attack!" At once, Pikachu took off at high speed.

Proton commanded his Pokemon to use Sludge again, which got the Mouse Pokemon moving back and forth in order to avoid the barrage of sludge. He was still too late to capitalize, however, for Pikachu circled around Koffing and tackled it in the opposite direction (a good call, since the last thing anyone wanted was a cave in). Both literally and figuratively, Proton began seeing red. He wasn't sure whether to yell at Koffing for being so slow or at Red for being such a pain! He just couldn't land a hit on that blasted rodent! Koffing could take a hit, sure, but taking multiple hits would eventually make the higher-up's wrath grow.

"You've made me angry now!" he shouted. "Use Smokescreen!"

An appropriate outlet for such an emotion, he decided. Just let it all spill out. He envisioned this as Koffing released a thick black smoke from the protrusions on its body. It engulfed Pikachu and Red, and it slowly expanded several feet around them. Red's panicked cry instead came out as a series of coughs, while his friends had fearful and distressed expressions on their faces. This was perfect. Now that the kid and his Pikachu couldn't see what they were up against, Proton could strike.

"Gotcha. Sludge, now!"

"P-Pikachu, try to-" Red's words were interrupted by another few coughs. Pikachu was beginning to get worried. He couldn't see, Red couldn't speak at the moment and Koffing was about to strike! Before the smoke could even begin to clear, he found himself on the receiving end of a barrage of poisonous projectiles. He stood his ground for the first couple, but couldn't take anymore and was sent flying back, past Red.

After he fell to the cave floor, he stayed down for quite a while. Usually, he would have gotten up within seconds, but that Sludge was really strong. Only after Red got over the shock and pleaded him to get up was he able to muster enough strength to do so, slowly. As far as Red recalled, Sludge had a chance of poisoning the target. He was very grateful that it didn't happen!

"Drat!" Proton snarled. His attack plan clearly hadn't gone as expected. "Why do you insist on getting in our way?"

"Because what you do is wrong! Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!"

"Sludge again, Koffing!"

Once again, lightning bolts collided with heaps of sludge. Then, Pikachu and Koffing charged into each other with Quick Attack and Tackle, knocking each other back a bit. So far, the battle had been a stalemate. Pikachu had speed on his side, but it was only a matter of time before he started taking some hits. Koffing had relatively strong defenses, but in time, beating on a wall would make it crumble. Proton could see why Red and his friends managed to stop all of the grunts in Mt Moon. The kid was strong after all, though he didn't know whether to praise him for it or brush it aside as luck.

"Use Quick Attack again, Pikachu!"

It had to be luck. It just had to be! Proton was an executive of Team Rocket, and he would be darned if he let a kid defeat him. He would win, and he would win using any means necessary!

"That's it...! If Koffing's going down, it'll take the Pikachu with it! Use Self-Destruct!"

"_Self-Destruct!?_" everyone else screamed in utter terror. Red then shouted for his Pokemon to get out of there. Pikachu wanted to, he really did, but he had already made the lunge at Koffing before Proton gave the command! And it wasn't like he could change gravity around him and fall back down quickly! He could only despair as Koffing's body rose higher, swelled up and became surrounded in a blinding white light.

Three.

Two.

One.

A deafening explosion engulfed both Pokemon and was soon accompanied by the sounds of stalactites and rocks from above smashing into the cave floor. That could only mean one thing: the ceiling was about to collapse! Every piece that broke produced a small cloud of dust, but there were so many rocks falling, the amount of dust added up, making it really difficult to make out what was going on. Proton could barely see where Koffing had fallen. Mumbling that it served its purpose, he recalled it and took for cover. Leaf, Yellow and the Clefairy also made a mad dash, but Leaf turned around, hoping that Red didn't get left behind. Wait a second.

What the heck was he doing!?

"Red, you have to get outta there, too!" she cried desperately, though it seemed that her words fell on deaf ears.

Red charged into where the explosion had occurred, narrowly avoiding all that threatened to crush him, and found the barely conscious Pikachu lying on the floor. Seeing the state Pikachu was in was awful, but he blamed himself, not remembering that Koffing could learn Self-Destruct. However, when a rock shattered right next to them, he knew that there was no time to beat himself up more. He scooped up the Mouse Pokemon and took off in the direction that Leaf and the others ran in, his footsteps barely audible in comparison to the falling rocks.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Judging from the titles of the Mt Moon chapters, some of you may have thought that Jessie, James and Meowth would make appearances. That was my original plan. However, since the Team Rocket trio have established personalities, I decided to challenge myself and write four characters that aren't shown nearly as often in the games as Jessie, James and Meowth are in one season of the anime. Proton, Petrel, Ariana and Archer are important characters in HG/SS because they're the four executives of Team Rocket, and I thought it'd be interesting to bring them into my novelization. Don't expect them to make hundreds of appearances, but you can bet that one will be around where Team Rocket grunts are around.

I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I heard that Clefairy was originally going to be Pokemon's mascot, but they decided to switch to Pikachu, probably because Pikachu is more 'gender neutral'. In any case, I've always liked the Clefairy line. I appreciate that Clefable's become a lot more useful now that it's Fairy instead of Normal (along with getting the slight Special Attack boost). I wanted to give one to Red, but I already had his team set before the idea occurred to me, so I gave it to Leaf instead. Because of her desire to help out with Pokemon research, I thought it'd be fitting for her to have a rare Pokemon or two. :)

* * *

**-Have a great day, week, month, whatever, and stay upbeat, y'all!-**


	11. Chapter 10: The Grass Is Really Greener

**I own no Pokemon characters. Credits to Game Freak.**

* * *

**-Chapter 10: The Grass is Really Greener-**

* * *

All everyone could hear were the frantic beats of their own hearts. During so, light poured down on this now ruined part of Mt Moon. However, it didn't come from the man-made sources that Team Rocket hung up. They were destroyed in the aftermath of Koffing's Self-Destruct, essentially cutting off the power that was supposed to meet every other artificial light source in the cave. For a moment, Red, Leaf and Yellow wondered where the light was coming from, but the answer came to them when they slowly turned around.

A pile of rubble stretched across the cave room and seemed to exceed Red and Leaf's height. A lot of damage had been done to Wanda's former home (which was still her family and friends' current home!), and Red couldn't help but feel responsible for letting that Koffing get away with it. Above the rubble was a giant hole in the ceiling, which allowed the sun's rays to shine through. Unfortunately, this was not the time to watch that beautiful sky...

...especially since the one who caused the rubble was walking on top of it!

"What's wrong? Shaken up?" Proton then remained in place, sneering at Red and taking out a Poke Ball. "Maybe that'll teach you to respect authority! Now, Voltorb, show- huh?"

Suddenly, a large shadow loomed him and the rubble he was standing on. The executive put the round capsule away and looked up. He recognized what it was. The increasingly loud sound of rotors spinning made it clear that a helicopter was being lowered. The three kids looked up, too, and laid eyes on familiar faces in there. They were Team Rocket grunts, nearly all of whom took part in Operation Moonfall. They called out to Sir Proton for confirmation that he was alright.

"We heard an explosion from the other side as I was gathering everyone up," the pilot of the aircraft said. "Did those kids give you any trouble, sir?"

"Sir _Proton!_" the executive corrected him. "And I was just showing the red capped boy what really happens to those to get in the way of Team Rocket's plans."

"Speaking of which, Sir Proton... The boss wants you to abort this mission and see him immediately."

On cue, one of the grunts threw a rope ladder down to the rubble. The brats heard Proton mutter something as he climbed up, but it wasn't very clear to them what he was saying. It was after Proton got inside the helicopter that he addressed them directly, raising his voice so that he was louder than the spinning rotors.

"Don't think that this is the end of Team Rocket! You may have escaped me for now, but if we ever meet again, I'll make sure you regret it!"

With the ladder rolled up, he gave a signal for the pilot to fly back to Team Rocket's base. The helicopter slowly turned around and left, but not before Red, Leaf, Yellow and the Clefairy got one final surprise from Team Rocket. A crescent like shape began to form from in front of the aircraft. Upon hearing a thunderous boom, they darted back in panic, leaving the small explosion that occurred from behind. As it cleared, they turned back around and saw the rubble scattered even further across the cave floor. The attack was never meant for them at all, it seemed. It was just a warning shot.

Red looked up, the lack of a helicopter in sight filling him with ire. This wasn't the end, he was told. He and his friends would regret seeing Proton again, said executive told him. He couldn't just leave Team Rocket hanging around, though. What they were doing was wrong! Someone had to make a stand! But... There was nothing that anyone could do at this stage. Still, it gnawed on his conscience that he let them get away with what they did in Mt Moon today. Sure, they lost all of the Clefairy, but who was to say that they wouldn't wreak havoc somewhere else in Kanto? Heck, were there undercover schemes going on right now!? And let's not forget the possibility that-

"R-Red?"

"Red, are you alright?"

Leaf's and Yellow's voices snapped the boy of his thoughts. He was staring into the sky for quite a while...

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said wistfully. He took another look at Pikachu before discussing with the others the next plan of action, which was to get Pikachu to a Pokemon Center.

Meanwhile, Wanda was also talking with the other Clefairy about what they would do next. Her friend was about to direct the humans to the exit, as gratitude for saving him, but she assured him that she would do it instead. Upon being told that she was joining Leaf on her journey, he jumped back a little. Wanda used to never want to leave home because of the dangers that may have lurked around every corner outside. On top of that, she would miss her family and friends. His concern was obvious to her, but in the same manner she did with her family, she assured him that there would be no problems with traveling with Leaf and her companions.

She also remarked that, though her friend showed some defiance every now and then, he still found it in his heart to worry for those he cared about! In fact, he was rather glad to share his last hug with her, which the humans found to be a touching moment. After (reluctantly) breaking off, the male Clefairy gave a thumbs up, and he headed back to his place.

"Aww, was it someone special, Wanda?" Leaf cooed, noticing that other Clefairy's longing eyes. Her own Clefairy turned away nervously, unable to hide the slightly red tint on her cheeks. After a moment of reflection on that matter, Wanda walked past her trainer, Yellow and Red, and pointed in the direction they were meant to be headed. This wasn't the time for reminiscing, but for action. The sooner they got moving, the sooner they'd be out of Mt Moon, and the sooner they were out of Mt Moon, the sooner they could get Pikachu some help!

* * *

Route 4 ran down from Mt Moon and connected it with Cerulean City, where Red would have his second battle with a Gym Leader. Unlike the more uphill Route 3, it had a much gentler slope and was more verdant. To Red, Leaf and Yellow's side was a clear river, which flowed along the route. It glistened at this time because the sun was still up, although it wouldn't be for much longer.

Normally, the area as a whole teemed with life all day. Horsea (little blue seahorses) would leap in and out of the water, several Psyduck (yellow bipedal ducks) would swim nonchalantly, and the occasional crustacean Krabby would scuttle nearby. The usual faces of the land and sky, such as Rattata and Spearow, would also be running or flying around. However, that explosion inside Mt Moon really shook up the nearby inhabitants of Route 4. The Horsea huddled fearfully in small groups and the Krabby moved ever so cautiously. The Rattata rarely popped their heads out of the tall grass, and the few that did immediately pulled back afterwards, and there wasn't a single bird Pokemon in the sky at the moment.

"Everyone looks so frightened," Yellow said sadly.

Leaf stopped walking for a moment and closed her eyes. "It hasn't been too long since Team Rocket left Mt Moon. I'll bet that the Pokemon here are still scared that they'll come back."

Red was about to open his mouth and voice his own opinion, but he could only let out a 'woah' after he almost tripped on a green plant bulb. Everyone lowered their gazes to it, and they gasped. This 'bulb' seemed to rest on the back of a bluish green quadruped. The being had red eyes and, at the end of each leg, three claws. That was when everyone realized... This wasn't a plant after all, but a Pokemon. It was a Bulbasaur! Keeping Pikachu close to his chest with one arm, Red used the other arm to scan it with his Pokedex.

**"Bulbasaur: the Seed Pokemon.**

**When a Bulbasaur is born, a strange seed is planted on its back. As this Pokemon slowly grows, so does this seed."**

Bulbasaur were usually sturdier than Charmander and Squirtle. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case with this one. All over its body were peck marks, which stung horribly. Bulbasaur had to clench its teeth in order to endure the sheer pain. However, upon seeing the three humans around it, the Seed Pokemon let out a weak growl at them. What were they doing here, anyway? Sure, it wasn't everyday that one got to see a Bulbasaur in the wild, but they didn't have to gather around it like it was a freak from the circus, or whatever they called that place!

But if that was the case, why weren't the humans laughing? In fact, they were talking with each other, taking concerned glances at Bulbasaur every now and then. The boy looked particularly worried. Rightfully so, since he already had a problem in his hands, literally.

"I can't let another Pokemon suffer like Bulbasaur is!" Red said, despite his own Pokemon needing help. He gave the Pikachu to one of the girls, Leaf, and reached down to scoop up Bulbasaur himself...

"B-Bulba...!" it stuttered, mustering enough energy to bring out dark green vines from the side of its bulb. It didn't intend to hurt the boy, just lash the vines around to scare him and the others away.

Bulbasaur wouldn't accept anything from strangers, no matter what their intentions! That was what it was told to do, anyway, by someone that it regarded as a friend. Even if Red knew that, he wouldn't have known who this friend was. He wouldn't have understood the situation at all... However, before it could try and bring a vine down, the sharp pain ran through its body once more, crumpling it to the ground. With a weak croak, it laid its head down in shame, for it didn't have anymore strength. It was then that Bulbasaur's vision began to darken. The last thing it saw was the boy kneeling down in front of him.

With the Seed Pokemon unconscious, Red had no trouble picking it up and carrying it with him. "We're taking Bulbasaur to the Pokemon Center, too," he told Leaf and Yellow.

"I understand," Yellow replied. She placed both hands on Bulbasaur and Pikachu, sighing. "I just wish there was something I could do to help them."

"They'll be fine. The nurse will know what to do with them. She's an expert!" Leaf assured her.

* * *

It took a long while to find the Pokemon Center, but once Red and friends finally found it in the center of Cerulean City, they rushed inside. The lobby was busy as usual, with some people using some of the many PCs and videophones available to the right, as well as others watching a broadcast of the Sinnoh region's latest 'Pokemon Contest' on the flat screen TV to the left. Luck be with Red, the front desk was free! As he, Leaf and Yellow ran to it, the pink haired nurse and the egg-shaped Pokemon behind it were shocked at the state Pikachu and Bulbasaur were in.

"Goodness!" the nurse gasped. "What happened here!?"

"Pikachu was hit by a really powerful attack in battle, Nurse Joy," Leaf explained. The nurse back in Pewter City revealed that they all shared the last name 'Joy', hence why Leaf knew her name without asking.

"And we found this injured Bulbasaur in Route 4," Red said, a mix of hope and fear in his voice. "Could you please take care of them?"

The two's conditions were the worst that Nurse Joy had seen all day, but they were still nothing that she couldn't handle! "You can count on us. Chansey, take them to the recovery room, stat!"

The pink Pokemon moved around the desk as fast as her stubby legs allowed her to before gesturing Red and Leaf to hand Bulbasaur and Pikachu over to her. They did so at once, and Chansey, making sure not to handle the patients too roughly, took them to the recovery room at the back. After being asked to, Nurse Joy gladly took the rest of everyone's Pokemon to check up on them also. She then made her way to the recovery room, telling the three to remain inside.

"I'll check the conditions of all of your Pokemon..." She trailed off, not knowing their names.

"I'm Red."

"Call me Leaf."

"And my name's Yellow."

"Ah, thank you. Anyway, I'll call for you and let you know how your Pokemon will fare as soon as possible." With that said, Nurse Joy disappeared into the recovery room. The three were about to ask Nurse Joy where she thought the Bulbasaur came from, but they supposed that tending to her newest patients took higher priority. Being a nurse must have been a tough job, after all. None of them wanted to delay her even further than they already were.

Leaf placed a hand on Red's shoulder. He hadn't noticed that Yellow left to find some videophones for the three of them. "Hey, why don't we call everyone and let them know how we're doing?"

Red nodded silently. Today had been one heck of a day. Maybe what he needed was to wind down, if only for a short while. As he walked with Leaf, he thought about his Pikachu and Butterfree. He didn't want to worry them by feeling that he let them down, so all he could really do was move forward with his Pokemon. Bulbasaur, however... What would happen with Bulbasaur after it was healed up? Red would probably ask Nurse Joy that later, but for now, he was going to call his mother and let her know how things were going, perhaps leaving out the darker details.

"I'm sorry. I was only able to find one videophone for all of us," Yellow said. "I can wait for you two to finish before I call my parents."

"Well, Leaf, do you want to go first?"

"Hmm... Don't mind if I do."

It was as easy to use as their parents' old phones (it pretty much worked in the exact same way!). Just a dial of the number was all it took for the three to hear ringing on the other end. A few seconds later, a voice was heard.

"Hello?" the person asked aloud, almost as if she was speaking over some... loud music?

Wait a second...

"Hiya, Mom!" Leaf responded in just as loud a voice, a silly grin on her face. "I see you didn't invite me or my friends to the party. Do you have any idea how upset that makes me feel?" A woman appeared on screen and mock scoffed, prompting the two of them to laugh away. It was clear that Leaf took after her, though there were a few differences. She was a bit more slim than her mother, her hair was a lighter shade of brown, and she preferred brighter clothing.

"Well, I see you've got your own party over here." Leaf's mother gestured to Red and Yellow, who greeted her in a more formal manner. Since her daughter looked like she was having a reunion with her closest friends (but why was Blue missing?), she decided to call their parents over for the video chat. She turned to her side. "Hey, everybody! Leaf and her friends are on the phone!" At once, she turned down the dance music and was joined by Red's and Yellow's mothers, along with Professor Oak!

"Since when did all of you get here? And where's Dad and Yellow's dad?" Leaf asked. What amazed Red was that the adults onscreen conveniently happened to be there. Yellow simply waved at everyone, who waved back.

"We decided to have a little get-together, since things would be a lot quieter without you all," the woman replied. "Your dad and Yellow's dad just went grocery shopping, so I'll tell the big lugs you both said hi. But enough about us. How have _you _been?"

Red was the first to speak up, unbuttoning his jacket and showing everyone the Boulder Badge. "Well, not too long ago, I won this." The women oohed and aahed at the sight of it, while Professor Oak nodded approvingly.

"Oh, Red, I knew you could do it!" his mother told him proudly.

"One of many milestones on your quest to be the best..." the Professor commented sagely. "And how about the girls?"

"Well, Red and I met up with Yellow at the Pokemon Center near Mt Moon," Leaf said. "The next day, we actually explored the mountain, which was where I found a Clefairy!"

"My, how lucky you are! I'm sure that you're aware of how rare they are, even in Mt Moon?"

"I was surprised at first, too, Professor, but it was what she wanted. How could I say no?"

Yellow's gaze lowered. She knew how amazed the adults were with Red's Boulder Badge and the fact that Leaf owned a Clefairy. Red was one step closer to realizing his dream, while Leaf could relish in having a Pokemon not many people could get a hold of. Yellow looked back on her own 'accomplishments'. She already told her parents about catching a Rattata (which were very common), so that was out. Come to think of it, what had she done that could match up to her friends' feats? In fact, the most exciting thing that happened to her was Charmander's Blaze activating, but every Pokemon had an ability, so that was to be expected.

Her mother was the first to notice the slight change in demeanor. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Uh, oh! I was just... I was thinking about our Pokemon..." It wasn't a complete lie. Yellow was particularly worried for Red's Pikachu, but it had been a long day for everyone's Pokemon. She told her mother that they were at Cerulean City's Pokemon Center, ready to rest up for the night, but she wasn't about to describe what happened in Mt Moon before coming here!

"I know you're worried for them, Yellow, but could you please watch yourself, too?" the woman requested. "You're out there, unaware of what lies around every corner, but that's why you have Pokemon, to be there with you every step of the way. You both need to put in effort to looking after each other." Yellow nodded. She knew that she was the most hesitant out of her group of friends, but her reason for going on a Pokemon journey was to rectify that. Yes, she could rely on her Charmander and Rattata when need be.

Speaking of the Pokemon...

A jingle played and an announcement followed. "Red, Leaf and Yellow, please come to the recovery room to see your Pokemon."

"Well, guess we'd better go see how our Pokemon are doing," Red said to the adults.

"I'm sure they'll be fighting fit in no time!" his mother chimed.

To lighten up the mood, Leaf's mother went and turned up the music. "Well, you take care of everyone, Leaf!" she shouted over the rave-like music.

"I will!" Leaf giggled before hanging up. Then, she took off to see Nurse Joy, followed by Red and Yellow.

If there was one word that could perfectly describe a Pokemon Center's recovery room, it would be 'sterile'. It was clean to near perfection. So much so, it seemed that not a speck of dust rested on anything inside this calm, quiet environment. Compared to the hustle and bustle of the city life, being inside here was almost... surreal. It wasn't completely silent, however. There were the sounds of breathing coming from various Pokemon, some in worse condition than others. Come to think of it, the atmosphere in the recovery room was rather melancholy, but the Nurse Joys around the world tried so hard to stay positive. After all, it was their job to tend to wounded Pokemon.

The Nurse Joy of Cerulean City sighed. "I've administered some potions on everyone, but it won't be enough for Bulbasaur and Pikachu. They'll need to remain here with me, so I can treat them further."

"And everyone else?" Yellow spoke up, her concern for them apparent in the shakiness of her voice.

"All that the other Pokemon need is a good night's rest," the nurse assured him.

"That's wonderful!" Leaf beamed. "Don't you think, Red?"

The boy in question agreed wholeheartedly, but one thought lingered in his mind. "Nurse Joy... What do you do with wild Pokemon after you've treated them here?"

"Oh? Well, normally, we'd release them back to their homes." But Nurse Joy knew that her answer wasn't enough for Red, who took a worried glance at the Grass type Pokemon he brought in. Her gaze turned to it, too.. "Bulbasaur, however... We rarely see Pokemon like him in the wild. You see, starter Pokemon are bred by the Pokemon League in special breeding grounds." Nurse Joy looked around, making sure no one else was in the room. Then, she spoke in a hushed tone. "As far as I'm aware, only the regional Professors are allowed to know their locations, which reduces the risk of poaching."

"So that's why Professor Oak wouldn't tell us where he gets Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle," Leaf said to Yellow.

"Now I see..." Yellow replied in thought.

The nurse decided to raise her voice back to normal from this point on. "Anyway, it's extremely unlikely that this Bulbasaur was native to Route 4. In any case, we'll take care of him here in the Pokemon Center, at least until someone decides to take him in. You don't need to worry at all about Bulbasaur, Red!"

"Would it be alright with him?"

"I'm sure it will. Why do you ask?"

Bulbasaur's life must have been difficult as of late. No one knew what he would think or do once he woke up, but staying at the Pokemon Center under Nurse Joy's care seemed like the best course of action. Nurse Joy was a wonderful person, they all were! Despite this, Red knew that she and her Chansey would have little to no time to bond with Bulbasaur because of their job. As a result, wouldn't he still be lonely? That was what Red wanted to fix before it happened.

"Nurse Joy, I could take Bulbasaur, if that's alright with you."

She gave a surprised look at first, not knowing if he knew what he was getting himself into. His decision was not an easy one to make, after all, since Bulbasaur were rare. However, in his eyes, the nurse saw sincerity and compassion. Despite Pikachu needing help, Red still made the decision to bring Bulbasaur to the Pokemon Center. Most other people in his situation, particularly those who already had their hands full, would have felt that they didn't have time, and then... She didn't want to think about what would have happened to the Seed Pokemon if not for this young man.

"I think I can trust you with him," Nurse Joy said finally. "If you want to raise Bulbasaur yourself, I can give him to you when you come back for Pikachu."

"That's great! Thanks so mu-" But before Red could finish, he was interrupted by a deep gurgling sound. Everyone knew exactly what it was, but not where it came from, except for one.

Leaf looked down sheepishly.

"Heh heh, guess that answers the question of what our plans are for the night!" she joked, rubbing the back of her head.

Everyone, including Leaf, laughed at her antics. Of course, she would be the one to lighten up the mood, intentional or otherwise. However, it wouldn't have been a good idea to end the day on a somber note. Sure, there had been Team Rocket encounters, Clefairy kidnappings and an explosion, and perhaps not everyone came out safely, but there were some bright sides to this day. Yellow gained confidence in herself, albeit a little, Leaf found a new friend in Wanda the Clefairy and Red would gain a new one in Bulbasaur the next day. Sure, there were bumps on the road, but like Professor Oak hinted, many achievements would soon be made.

But tonight, there was a feast to be had!

* * *

**Author's Notes**

So, summer's come to an end and we're all back to school or work or whatever it is that you do. My progress on this novelization had to slow down (a lot, actually!) so I could get used to my new timetable. This year happens to be my last year of school, so I want to make the most of it before I leave. Now, I think I've worked out a good schedule as to how much time I should spend on schoolwork, 'Quest To Be The Best' and other things in my life. However, what I said a few chapters ago still holds. I still can't promise when I can upload. The next chapters will be done when they're done.

With that said, this was a difficult one to write. In an earlier version, I went from the end of Mt Moon to the start of Nugget Bridge, but I felt that was too fast. I'm talking 'Pokemon Origins' fast, with battle after battle! But even with the revisions I made, I still don't consider this chapter the most stellar entry, but I do feel that it's necessary to balance out action packed chapters with slower paced ones. I don't want to overload you guys with constant battles! However, in my downtime, ideas have been flooding my brain regarding the bigger moments, especially the later Gym Leader fights and the eventual endgame. The characterization, the battles, the music... What, the music? But this isn't an anime adaptation! Let me explain.

As I look back on uploaded and prewritten chapters, I keep thinking that certain tunes and theme songs would go really well with certain events. Originally, I wanted to add cues to said themes, but that would break the pace for you readers. I decided to just let my own creativity create the action and simply use music as inspiration for me as I write. However, four particular themes constantly play in my head, since I've actually assigned them to be _character themes_ for Red, Leaf, Blue and Yellow! Perhaps I'll reveal what they are in the next chapter or two, but if you want to know other parts of my 'personal soundtrack' for this novelization, let me know and I'll PM you (I'll tell you now that it solely consists of video game themes).

Anyway, guys, it's great to be back once again. See you all next time!

* * *

**-Have a great day, week, month, whatever, and stay upbeat, y'all!-**


	12. Chapter 11: Surprise, Surprise

**I own no Pokemon characters. Credits to Game Freak.**

* * *

**-Chapter 11: Surprise, Surprise, Look What You've Found!-**

* * *

"Pikachu's going to be okay!?"

The excitement in Red's voice was enough to make Bulbasaur stir. He groggily opened his eyes and looked around. What was this place, some kind of human establishment? Strange... Last Bulbasaur remembered, he was trying to scare away the humans who claimed to want to 'help' him, yet here he was in a Pokemon Center, where humans help other humans' Pokemon! The voice that woke him up... It came from the same boy who tried to scoop him up from Route 4 yesterday! And there were the girls who were with him that day, too! No, he couldn't have...

After Red, Leaf and Yellow left, Nurse Joy ran a diagnosis on Pikachu and Bulbasaur. The latter took the force of multiple peck-like attacks. The former... He took an explosive attack up close! Just what were those children doing out there!? Nevertheless, she dared not to dwell on that. Besides, the recovery process went by a lot more smoothly than expected. However, Self-Destruct was still Self-Destruct.

"Pikachu's body still needs some rest," Nurse Joy told Red. "I wouldn't suggest using him in battles for at least a couple of days."

Pikachu, alive and awake, jumped out of his hospital bed and climbed on top of Red's shoulder. There, he placed a paw on his stomach, feigning pain. He then yipped in excitement, which pretty much meant that he'd be battle-ready in no time. Though plans to challenge the Cerulean Gym would have to be put on hold, Red was really happy that Pikachu would live to fight another day, regardless of when that day would come. Leaf knew that Red only had Butterfree left to rely on for battles, so she made a mental note to insist on lending her Spearow to him. To make up for all that he had done, Yellow thought to take Red's Pikachu in her care until he was ready for battle. Though the girls didn't know it, they both had the same idea to help Red get through this situation.

However, one look to the side reminded them of a very important decision that he made last night. Bulbasaur was looking out the window, trying not to put his snout where it didn't belong.

Red also noticed this, but only now did he feel the need to bring him up. "And what about Bulbasaur? How's he doing?"

"Bulbasaur's good to go," Nurse Joy responded cheerfully. "Now, about that request you made last night..."

"If he's willing to come with me, I'll let him."

Perplexity was written across the Seed Pokemon's face. Even after he tried to fend this boy and his friends off, the same boy was offering him a chance to join him? There must have been some sort of catch. What was there to gain from trying to train a weak 'starter Pokemon', anyway? Pikachu, as if he were a psychic, hopped down from Red's shoulder and explained everything. As Bulbasaur expected, it was indeed Red who took him to the Pokemon Center. Although Pikachu was unconscious at the time, his best guess was that Red was concerned for Bulbasaur's needs and decided to prioritize them over his own. It was in his character. That seemed to get Bulbasaur thinking. His old life was gone, but he could start afresh with this human boy, who went through the effort to save him.

With a nod of his head, Bulbasaur extended vines towards him and Pikachu. They grasped one each and shook it.

"I promise that you won't regret your decision," the boy said to him, taking out a Poke Ball. "Welcome to the team."

He may not have known what had happened to Bulbasaur in the past, but perhaps it was better that way. With the spherical capsule, Red lightly tapped the Pokemon's head. The familiar light engulfed the Seed Pokemon and swirled inside the Poke Ball, which closed afterwards. With one shake, two shakes, three shakes, and a brief glow, Bulbasaur had been caught.

"And now all three of us have official starter Pokemon!" Leaf chimed, pulling Red and Yellow towards her and placing her hands around their shoulders. "Isn't it great, guys?"

"But... what about Blue?" Yellow asked hesitantly.

Then, the realization hit Leaf. It had been quite some time since she or Red last saw him. "Well, uh... He's Professor Oak's grandson. He'll probably find a workaround!"

"In any case, I wonder what he'll think of my new Bulbasaur," Red spoke up, pointing his Pokedex at said Pokemon.

"**Bulbasaur, Male**

**Type: Grass/Poison**

**Ability: Overgrow**

**Known Moves: Tackle, Growl, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, Sleep Powder, Razor Leaf**"

"So, are you three headed anywhere today?" Nurse Joy asked the three. For reasons she already mentioned, Red decided not to tackle Cerulean City's Gym today. The question, however, was where to go from here. "If not, I'd recommend paying a visit to Bill at the Cerulean Cape."

Leaf let out a gasp. "The famous 'Pokemaniac'?"

"The very one," Nurse Joy answered, nodding. "His 'Sea Cottage' is at the end of Route 25. You can get there by crossing Nugget Bridge, at the north, and heading right. Not to mention, around that bend is some wide open space for you to train your Pokemon."

"I'd love to see the Nugget Bridge," Yellow said to the others with hopeful eyes. "Do you think we could make our way over there now?"

"Why not?" Red replied. Perhaps he could take this time to get everyone acquainted with Bulbasaur. After all, since he was a new member of the team, they'd need to get along with each other. "What do you think, Leaf?"

"Yes, yes! I've always wanted to see his Pokemon collection!"

"Then it's settled. Thanks so much for taking care of our Pokemon, Nurse Joy. We'll be heading for the Cerulean Cape now."

The pink haired nurse chuckled. "It was a pleasure to serve you three." As all Nurse Joys did before bidding trainers farewell, he took a bow. "Good luck on your journeys, everyone, and stay safe." And with that, she returned to the front desk with her Chansey.

* * *

The biggest and most obvious reason why Cerulean City was often called 'the floral lagoon city' was that a sparkling body of water, surrounded by colorful coral, lied at the north. The aquatic Pokemon there were worried more about who would finish the race first than what had happened yesterday. The jovial nature of the people who lived in Cerulean City seemed to have rubbed off on the little swimmers, though news didn't go unnoticed. In particular, the adults were more concerned with recent events than the children.

Cerulean City wasn't the go-to city for shopping in Kanto, but some of the souvenirs being sold were incredibly extravagant. Unfortunately, with Red and friends' budgets, they couldn't spend all of their cash on gifts for their families just yet (nor could they afford the bicycles that were being sold!). As they walked on the cobblestone path, they noticed that nearly all of the buildings were in impeccable condition, the residences especially. People seemed to really care for their hometown (then again, what person didn't?), and no one from outside could deny that it was gorgeous. It was almost... romantic... like this place was popular with couples, so the residents did their best to make the city look as good as possible and draw even more in. It did help that the Cerulean Cape, which was past Nugget Bridge, was a popular dating spot.

The three were on the outskirts of Cerulean City, which happened to be where one end of Nugget Bridge was, when they decided to stop for a break. Their breakfast at the Pokemon Center was a fairly small one because Red insisted on being as quick as possible to check on Pikachu. Probably a bad call on his part, but Leaf knew that would happen and bought some snacks at the Poke Mart before leaving. She and the others brought their Pokemon out for fresh air and distributed some food between them. Then, Leaf handed a sandwich to Red and Yellow each, before munching down on her egg salad sandwich.

"Look at all of this water," Leaf said, her breath almost taken by the sight she beheld. "I wouldn't be surprised if the Gym Leader used Water type Pokemon!"

Red swallowed a bite of his ham and cheese sandwich before replying. "I could see that happening. There were a lot of rock gardens in Pewter City and the Gym Leader used Rock types."

Meanwhile, the Pokemon mingled as they ate. Leo made a funny face, which made his food fall out of his mouth. Wanda shook a finger at him in a scolding manner, which made him realize the mess he made. The Squirtle laughed, along with Pikachu, Charmander and Rattata, but Bulbasaur just sighed and shook his head. To the side, Chaos slowly pecked at her food. Butterfree flew over to her and made small talk. After seeing that the other Pokemon were having fun, he tried to convince her to join the group. Actually, the only reason why the Spearow eventually followed him was to get him off her back, at least for a while...

The stillness of the water only made the area look even more peaceful, suitable for stopping and eating (as long as everyone cleaned up after themselves, anyway). The glistening lake was a sight to behold, and the way the golden Nugget Bridge stretched across and above it gave the structure a sense of majesty. As Yellow finished her cucumber sandwich, she imagined what it would be like to cross the bridge, but her current location actually made for a great fishing spot, too! If only she... Wait a second... She reached into her pocket for what Red and Leaf first considered to be a weird handle of sorts. Attached to it was a reel. That was when the two realized that it was a retractable fishing rod. Yellow confirmed this by pulling the rod to extend it. A star shaped lure dangled at the end.

"Do you think I'll be able to find a Pokemon in here?" she asked hopefully.

"I don't see why not," Leaf answered, while Red signaled that he was in agreement. "Give it a try, Yellow."

If there was one thing Yellow loved, it was fishing. It was always something she felt she could come back to and cast aside her troubles. She wasn't the most vocal girl out there, especially compared to Leaf, so a quiet hobby like fishing was a perfect match for her. Yellow performed a few practice swings before finally casting her rod into the water, fearing that she would break the rod that her father gave her, though the lure was something that her mother bought as a good luck charm. After hearing that familiar plopping sound, she stood still and began to wait. Rattata scurried to the edge of the lake and peered over, looking for where that rather shiny star went. He leaned forward, but had to be pulled back by Charmander so he wouldn't fall in.

"This really takes me back," Leaf said. "All we need is for Blue to show up and it would be like our last field trip, Red!"

"Speaking of Blue, we haven't seen him in a while," Red replied. "I wonder how he's doing..."

"Knowing him, he's probably on his way to... I don't know, Saffron City or something!"

Leaf and Red shared a laugh, while Yellow, not wanting to distract herself from her line, simply smiled. Not that the idea of Blue being so ahead was unthinkable. Far from it, in fact! Whenever Blue had a goal in mind, he would do everything in his power to meet it. His goal, like Red's, involved a lot of training and battling, and moving to the next destination for more training and battling. Of course, he knew better than to do that 24/7, or at least Red hoped. Stopping and smelling the roses was a great thing to do on occasion, especially for someone as focused on his goals as the grandson of Professor Oak. Blue had drive, a lot of it, but he sometimes thought that Red was the only other person who was making sense. Come to think of it, despite being nearly complete opposites and often competing with each other, they still considered each other best buds because of what they felt they lacked in themselves that the other possessed.

Red sighed. He didn't know why his mind was going on that tangent. Perhaps he wanted to have these things in mind, just in case... Just in case what, he was asking himself? It was probably the view that was doing this to him. Peaceful scenery always made him think about life, sometimes negatively, but other times positively, but that was neither here nor there.

"So, Red, what kind of Pokemon do you think Bill has?" Leaf suddenly asked him.

Yellow tilted her head, still not catching a bite. "You know, don't you, Leaf?"

"I'm sure she does, but it's fun to guess," Red said. "Anyway, Leaf, would Bill happen to have a Pikachu of his own?"

"Actually, that's one of the Pokemon he's yet to add to his collection!"

"They're that rare!?" Red took a look at his own Pikachu, who merely looked at the boy in puzzlement. He knew for sure that Pikachu wasn't the last of his kind back in the forest, but if it's taken _Bill _that long to find one, then Red ought to count himself lucky that Professor Oak allowed him to keep this particular one as his first Pokemon! Speaking of first Pokemon, that led to Red's next guess: Eevee, one of which Blue was given.

"You got that one right, Red!" Leaf was more than happy to inform him. "In fact, some of his favorite Pokemon are Eevee and its evolutions."

"They were really popular back in school, weren't they, Leaf?" Yellow spoke up.

"How could they not? They're just so cute! Which one was your favorite, Red?"

"Hmm... Honestly, Leaf, I couldn't tell you which-"

A gasp from Yellow interrupted the boy. Turning around, he could see her taking a step back and pulling on her fishing rod. She could only spare a moment to adjust her straw hat for it to block the sun from her eyes. Yellow got a bite, and she was not about to let it go in front of her friends! Even though said friends rushed to her and offered to help pull the rod, she shook her head. Whatever this Pokemon was, it was biting down pretty hard, but it wasn't something she couldn't handle. In fact, she seemed to be able to just sense how close the Pokemon was to the top of the water.

With just a few more tugs on her rod, the aquatic Pokemon was eventually pulled out. Upon setting foot on land, the blue, spherical tadpole spat out Yellow's star-shaped lure and wiped it clean with its long tail. The humans, as well as the other Pokemon, around it mainly took notice of the black swirl on its belly. The tadpole looked at each and every one of them with its large eyes.

"Poli?"

"Aww, look at that little guy!" Leaf couldn't help but reach down and pet the new Pokemon, who didn't seem too hostile to the gesture. Since this was Yellow's find, she pointed at it a Pokedex model that was the same color as her hair. Red, curious as ever, followed suit.

**"Poliwag: the Tadpole Pokemon.**

**Its skin is thin, damp and flexible. A part of its internal organs can be seen through it. Poliwag has some trouble walking because of its newly developed feet, but its large tail makes it a powerful swimmer."**

Poliwag stepped away from Leaf, much to the latter's confusion. It took a few careful hops back before pointing its tail at Yellow and wagging it back and forth, pointing at her and itself over and over. That only meant one thing, but Red was the first to realize.

"I think Poliwag's challenging you to a battle!"

"R-Really?"

"I know that gesture anywhere," Leaf said. "You fished up Poliwag, Yellow, so I think you should deliver. Maybe you could even catch it!"

Yellow looked back and forth, feeling doubtful at first. What if she were to lose in an embarrassing way in front of her friends? What if she were to do too much damage to that Poliwag? Then, she noticed Rattata point his nose at the wild Pokemon and take a big whiff. He scurried around afterwards, crying out in excitement. Charmander may have gotten the fame for taking down that big mean Raticate, but this was _Rattata's _time to show what he could do for his trainer. That much was clear to Yellow, and she wouldn't let this opportunity slide, especially for her Pokemon. Upon Rattata's accepting of Poliwag's challenge, everyone recalled their remaining Pokemon, of course excluding Red's Pikachu.

"Let's do our best, Rattata."

"Rattaa!"

"Start with Tackle!"

Rattata charged forward. Poliwag firmed its stubby feet on the ground and bopped its body up and down. It reared its tail, preparing to retaliate hard. Its opponent drew near, but the tadpole spun its body around and thwacked him on the face multiple times. Poliwag cheered after successfully stopping Rattata's Tackle with Double Slap, but knew that Rattata wouldn't have fallen so early. To keep up the pressure, it hopped backwards before launching a stream of water from its mouth, knocking Rattata back to where he started.

"Aah! Are you okay!?" Yellow cried. Rattata shook the water off before making a yip. "Thank goodness. Watch what Poliwag's going to do, and dodge on my mark, alright?"

After taking aim, Poliwag released another Water Gun. Upon Yellow's call, Rattata jumped to the side, almost feeling the water skim through his fur. Poliwag kept on the ranged offensive, but this time tried to pelt its opponent with flurries of bubbles. The first few attacks, Yellow told her Pokemon to avoid, but after realizing that the Water type Pokemon was laying on the pressure hard, Rattata didn't need to be told anymore to get moving quickly. Quite the workout for himself, he thought, yet he couldn't spot an opening for him and Yellow to take advantage of. Nevertheless, he did his best to avoid each and every Water type attack that was thrown at him.

Red narrowed his eyes as he watched Poliwag's movements. "Wild Pokemon usually make use of their surroundings in battle, but Poliwag hasn't jumped into the water to have the field advantage."

Leaf couldn't help but agree. "Why is that the case...?"

Poliwag's attacks pressed on, but they started to come slower than they had a few seconds ago. Either way, the sounds of the blasts of water, along with the occasional bubble blasts, seemed to blend into a musical beat for Rattata to dodge and swerve to. So this was what Charmander felt every time he was sent into battle... Meanwhile, Yellow was relieved that she made the right choice by sending her purple rat against Poliwag. Although Rattata had less experience in battle than Charmander, the former was very agile. Despite this, she knew that he couldn't keep dodging forever. She didn't want to waste her Pokemon's efforts for nothing, but there didn't seem to be any window of opportunity to strike. In time, though, Poliwag managed to nail Rattata with a Water Gun, following with a squeal of satisfaction for finally being able to land another blow on the nimble opponent.

After Rattata vigorously shook the water off, he focused his gaze on the opponent, wondering what the next move would be. He glanced at Yellow and noticed her shaking slightly. Turning back, he saw Poliwag change his movements from 'up, down, up, down' to 'side to side, side to side'. He couldn't detect anything different after he took a small sniff. Perhaps he wasn't sniffing hard enough... With that, he tried again.

This time, he inhaled and exhaled for a long amount of time than he usually did, and by some outside force, his eyes were glued to the Tadpole Pokemon in front of him. Then, a strange energy swelled inside him, evident in the golden glow around his body. Yellow was both dazzled and baffled. This couldn't have been Rattata's ability, could it? No, it couldn't have been. Rattata wasn't inflicted with a status condition, or at least she thought he wasn't. Pokemon took on a white glow when evolving, which was not what she was seeing right now. This only meant one other thing.

"Is this a... new move?"

"It is!" Leaf chimed. "It's Focus Energy!"

"Focus Energy?"

"I remember seeing this move a few times," Red said. "The user heightens its focus, so they're more likely to hit the opponent's weak points." He was expecting Yellow's Rattata to become more stoic under the effects of Focus Energy. Instead, the rat was even more excited than before, running around in circles and barking with glee. Red laughed. "I guess that's one way to show that he's getting pumped."

"Rattata, please focus!" Yellow said in between laughs. It was quite an adorable scene, but she knew what the task at hand was. Rattata made a remembering noise and faced Poliwag, who wagged its tail in a challenging manner. "Okay, now use Quick Attack!"

Filled with the same strange energy from a moment ago, Rattata scurried forward, strafing away from the incoming barrage of Water Guns, a white trail desperately trying to keep up from behind. When he drew near, he pounced at the tadpole to make the attack. Poliwag, surprised by how much faster its opponent was moving, sidestepped out of the way in an almost clumsy manner, with one foot in the air, and prepared to swing its tail for another Double Slap. With only its other foot to support itself, it inadvertently exposed a weak point: its lower body! Before it could even blink, it was sent flying by an abnormally strong Quick Attack from Rattata.

"Go get 'em, Yellow!" Leaf cheered, pumping a fist in the air.

As gravity had its way with Poliwag, the blond haired girl quickly thought about her options. Not doing anything could give her opponent the time it needed to shake off the damage and strike, and if Rattata were to continue with the offensive, there was the chance that she would be putting him in danger of a close range attack. Thinking that the latter was riskier than the former, she and Rattata stayed put, allowing Poliwag to get up. The tadpole leaped upwards slightly and squealed louder than usual at its opponent. It _was _going to defeat him, no matter what! Filled with the conviction that it would win, it ran towards Rattata.

"Use Quick Attack again!"

Rattata charged forward and was about to literally butt heads with Poliwag, but the latter swiveled on one foot to avoid the attack. Within a split second, it realized that it repeated the same mistake of exposing its weak point. Rattata's rebound was incoming, but Poliwag spun around once more. Then, it began to wobble. It should have known that, as a Poliwag, relying on footwork was a bad move, but it had no time to think of another move! Desperately, Poliwag released a few small bubbles from its mouth, hoping to deter its opponent, but Rattata just charged through them and did the job of knocking it down for it.

Seeing the opportunity before her, Yellow took out a Poke Ball. She held it in front of her, breathed on it and wiped it clean, before pointing it at the downed tadpole Pokemon. With her first capture, she hesitated and almost let him get away, but this time, she steeled the resolve to throw the spherical capsule herself. As it was hurled forwards, Yellow made a silent request to the Pokemon: to only stay in the ball if it truly wanted to come with her. Poliwag made a high pitched squeak when the ball made contact with it. Then, it became engulfed in a red energy and was shut inside.

One shake.

Two shakes.

Three shakes.

Ding.

Filled with ecstasy, Yellow rushed over to where the Poke Ball lay on the ground and held it close to her. Rattata scurried around her and yapped triumphantly. His trainer had done it. She caught Poliwag!

"Nice going, Yellow!"

"I knew you could do it."

Yellow didn't know why, but she felt such a warm feeling in her stomach. She closed her eyes and smiled. It was silly how Leaf and Red (the former, in particular) were acting. Catching Pokemon was what all Pokemon Trainers did, after all. However, she couldn't brush aside how happy she was about being able to do so through her own efforts. After hearing Rattata's voice, she knelt down and rubbed his head.

"It was all thanks to you," she said, gaining a bashful response from the rat. Anything for his trainer... He happily retreated into his Poke Ball. Afterwards, Yellow became curious to know what her new friend was like. Taking a page from Leaf and Red, she fiddled with her own Pokedex model until she found the feature she was looking for.

**"Poliwag, Male**

**Type: Water**

**Ability: Water Absorb**

**Known Moves: Water Gun, Hypnosis, Bubble, Double Slap"**

"So, Yellow, what are you gonna do now?" Leaf asked afterwards.

"Well, I'm going to return to the Pokemon Center to have Poliwag healed up," the blond haired girl replied. "Afterwards... I'd like to continue my journey on my own. A-At least for a while!"

Her friends chuckled at the sheepish follow-up. Eventually, Yellow would have to part ways with them once again, but perhaps traveling alone would benefit her. Besides, with a third Pokemon to accompany her, what did she have to worry about? Well, maybe a certain villainous team, but Leaf and Red trusted that she could handle them. In a short span of time, she definitely showed signs of built-up confidence.

"You'll do just fine, Yellow. We know it." Leaf wasn't surprised to receive a hug from her petite friend and was glad to return it.

"It was great to see you again. Just be careful out there, okay?" Red said, before it was his turn to be on the receiving end of one of Yellow's hugs.

"I won't let you down," Yellow vowed. Before turning away from the two, she finally remembered to retract her fishing rod, and she adjusted her straw hat one last time. "Thank you so much for helping me, you two. It won't go to waste, I promise!"

Leaf and Red continued to wave until Yellow was out of sight.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

As much as I enjoyed writing this chapter and concluding the 'traffic light trio' arc, I'm also relieved that it's over. I love writing Yellow, but I don't want to keep the ball rolling between so many characters, like the anime tends to do with Ash, the next female protagonist, the next male mentor figure and sometimes a tagalong kid. I chose to stick to two characters, Red and Leaf, because if I went with three or even four, I'd run the risk of making one a 'third wheel' or simply not giving enough focus to certain party members respectively.

Lately, I've been in a nostalgic mood, which is the reason for this chapter's title. It's a lyric from 'Gone Fishing', a song in Thomas the Tank Engine. While my early childhood didn't revolve around that show completely, I remember enjoying the episodes that I did tune in for. During later parts of my childhood, back when I was _super _into watching flash animations, Super Mario Bros. Z's and Nazo Unleashed's high-octane action scenes kept me on the edge of my seat (in styles comparable to the actual Dragon Ball Z!). When I got news of a reboot to the former and a sequel to the latter in the works, my hype thrusters kicked in. It was just like the time I finally managed to get my hands on Super Smash Bros. Brawl, after which I did nothing but play that game for... probably a few days! Good times, good times...

As of December 20th 2015, we're nearing the end of that year! Admittedly, I haven't been as active on this site as I probably could have been (for various reasons that I've previously gone over), but I'm thinking of making up for it in 2016. This doesn't mean that I'll pump out a new chapter every week, since I still like to take time to refine them, but let's see if I can pick up the pace just a little bit, shall we?

Anyway, if I don't upload during the next week or two, have yourselves a fantastic Christmas, and best wishes for the new year!

* * *

**-Have a great day, week, month, whatever, and stay upbeat, y'all!-**


	13. Chapter 12: All That Glitters

**I own no Pokemon characters. Credits to Game Freak.**

* * *

**-Chapter 12: All That Glitters Is Not Gold-**

* * *

A maze of shrubs greeted Red and Leaf as they entered Route 25, though it was still possible to make out the general direction. There was the occasional tree, most of which were peppered with cocoon Pokemon, Metapod and Kakuna, that seemed to be waiting for something. Evolution, possibly. If Red's experience was anything to go by, they wouldn't have had to wait much longer. Every now and then, the fluttering of Butterfree wings and the buzzing of Beedrill could be heard, along with the chirruping of Pidgey flocks. There were also a few species of Grass type Pokemon that made their home on Route 25. The bell shaped plant Pokemon, Bellsprout and Weepinbell, shimmied without a care in the world, sometimes around other Pokemon and to the annoyance of some of the bulb-like Oddish and the flowery Gloom. The latter two preferred to stay rooted or simply wander around in peace.

Further into the maze shrubs, Red and Leaf heard the sounds of battle. They readied themselves, knowing that they would be roped in on the action, too. As expected, they recognized all of the Pokemon that were used, but for the most part, those trainers weren't nearly as adamant on finding a particular wild Pokemon as the ones near Mt Moon were. However, one camper was curious about an 'elusive Psychic type Pokemon' in the area. He had never seen it before, but he came to Route 25 to have a chance to do just that. Despite knowing what he was up against, he left the shrub-filled part of the route to continue his search.

In time, the Sea Cottage stood before Red and Leaf. It was a humble house, despite the owner's reputation, and was barely any taller than the nearby trees. At first glance, there was nothing special to it. It was just a white brick house with a green roof, but the simplistic appearance matched the surroundings very well. One thing genuinely confused the two, though.

"Leaf, does Bill usually leave his door open?"

"I'm... assuming not. No one does."

Tempted not to peer into the entryway, Red held the open door with one hand and gave three knocks on it with the other. There was no response, and it was like that for more than just a few seconds. Red knocked on the door again, only louder. After the second try, he and Leaf heard hasty footsteps from inside. Suddenly, the door was flung wider open, almost sending Red's hat flying, revealing a man in a light blue shirt. He wiped his forehead, taking care not to get any sweat on his brown hair, and cleared his throat.

"Howdy!" he greeted them cheerfully. "I wasn't expecting any visitors, but it's so nice to meet new faces. I'm Bill, the true blue Pokemaniac!"

"Well, howdy, Bill!" Leaf replied. "I'm Leaf."

"My name's Red, and Pikachu here is my partner," Red said, pointing to said partner, who yipped a greeting of his own.

Bill stepped forward and got a closer look at the Mouse Pokemon. "A Pikachu, you say? That's... quite a rare find, kid. Not even I've managed to find one yet, and I have all sorts of Pokemon in my collection!"

"Really? Actually, Leaf and I came all this way to see what kinds of Pokemon you have. May we?" Red asked.

"Oh, uh..."

After hearing this and seeing Bill adjust his collar nervously, Red wondered if perhaps this wasn't a good time. It would have been such a shame to travel to the Cerulean Cape and not get a glimpse of his Pokemon collection. Fortunately, there was hope, since Bill quickly regained his composure and gave the two a confident smile.

"People from all over the world would gather here to see my Pokemon. I don't see why I should turn you two down." To this, Leaf was about to squeal. Though she had enough self control to not actually let it out, Red still grasped her shoulder, just in case. Bill stepped back, gesturing inside his house. "The majority of my Pokemon are in my garden. Come in."

* * *

Red and Leaf were greeted with a room filled with scientific contraptions, as well as some boxes scattered here and there. To the left was a staircase to the upper floor. The apparatus that caught their attention most was one that consisted of two pillar like machines, which were connected by a green tube, and a computer in front of them. However, Bill simply waved it off, stating that he would retry the experiment another time. While Leaf looked all around the room, Red noticed stairs leading to the upper floor of the house. He wanted to ask Bill if he and his friend could see what was up there, but before he could open his mouth, a thumping noise echoed from above.

Leaf gasped. "W-What was that?"

"Oh, heh heh, some of my Pokemon are a bit rambunctious." Bill let out a jittery laugh. "They must be making such a mess up there..."

"Should we go up there and help you deal with it?" Red asked.

"No, no, I don't want to involve you two in my petty problems! Come along, now. I don't want to keep you waiting."

The Pokemaniac ushered Red and Leaf to the garden, access to which was through the kitchen. The beauty of Bill's garden almost stole their attention. It was much more well kept than the inside of the house. Flowers of different colors bloomed all over the field of grass and a mighty tree stood in the middle. Beside it was a little pond for aquatic Pokemon to swim in. However, that was why the garden _almost_ caught their attention. There were no Pokemon in the pool and they couldn't all be underwater at the same time! A harsh clanging sound alerted them and gave away exactly what was going on.

Bill's Pokemon were caged.

Instead of running around and playing, Pokemon of all sorts of types and rarities were being confined in cages. The smaller ones, and even some of the larger ones, quivered for their lives and called out to those that they were emotionally close with. In particular, several Eevee huddled together and another one beckoned for what looked like three of its evolved forms. The other Pokemon were more furious than frightened, yet they couldn't do anything because they were incapacitated in some way. However, a little orange lizard was especially dead set to break free. The Charmander's claws glowed like metal, before it swiped them at the bars over and over. No use. Just what were these things made of!? It would have tried Metal Claw again and risked hurting itself, had it not been for Red appearing in front of the cage, facing the man.

Leaf looked at Bill, severely dismayed by what was going on. "Is this... Is this how you keep your Pokemon?"

"Some of my Pokemon are even more rare than your Pikachu, Red, and they can very rowdy," Bill said, seemingly ignoring the girl. What followed, however, answered her question. "That's why I keep my Pokemon in cages. They keep them disciplined, you see."

"Discipline? But surely, there are other ways of teaching your Pokemon that some of the things they do are wrong! Do they really want to be kept in cages like this!?"

"You two... You use Poke Balls to keep your Pokemon, I assume." The two had no idea why they were being asked such a question, but they nodded slowly. Bill then turned to Red. "I can see that Pikachu's the exception, and it's clear that it doesn't like being confined into what looks like such a small space. For that reason, you keep it out here with you, correct?"

After seeing the boy nod again, the man smirked. Right where he wanted him.

"Explain to me why you and the girl keep all of your other Pokemon in Poke Balls. Is that not the same as forcing them in cages? Is that not just as cruel?"

Red took out Butterfree's and Bulbasaur's Poke Balls, his gaze turning to each one. Outside, their actions and expressions gave a clue as to what they were thinking. Inside? Red had no idea. He recalled how Leaf's Clefairy jumped from inside her ball when she was given the name Wanda. Was she really happy with the nickname, or was she protesting against being inside a Poke Ball and locked away from the outside world? Next, he turned to Pikachu. It wasn't fair that he got special treatment and the others didn't... Perhaps Red would have to-

"Sure, it's more convenient to carry them around in Poke Balls, but Pikachu wasn't forced by Red to stay in one, simply because he doesn't like it," Leaf said, stretching an arm in front of Red. Seeing someone, even Bill, mess with Red's mind was unacceptable. Despite that, she refused to let it out via anger. "We didn't force our Pokemon to come with us on our journeys, so they have no reason to be frightened of us. If they had something to say about being kept in the things we use to catch them, they would have told us."

"T-There haven't been any complaints so far," Red spoke up, having regained his composure thanks to Leaf. "If there are any in the future, we'll listen to them. We'll try our best to understand them because they're our friends."

Bill shook his head. "Well, unlike you two, I don't particularly care about the relationships between people and Pokemon. Why else does everyone refer to the ones I own as a 'collection'? Because that's all I see them as." Bill then heard Charmander growl from behind Red. He walked up to its cage and rubbed the top of it. "Besides, battles can get you seriously hurt, can't they?" he cooed in a mocking tone. "Yes, this life is much safer for a weak Pokemon like you."

"'Weak'? That can't be your idea of a joke!" Red then exclaimed.

"This one person came to me and handed Charmander over," Bill replied nonchalantly. "He couldn't stand having to raise such a pathetic battler and he knew how much I love rare Pokemon, so who was I to say no?"

Bill saw the looks on the two kids' faces and sighed. He wasn't sure if he was going to change either of their minds on such a silly subject. Pikachu would probably step in and defend them, too, so it was three to one. There had to be some way to get them to at least see his perspective, but the question was how to do so. A moment of tense silence passed, before Bill suddenly had an idea.

"Say... I have an offer that I think you two will like." As he said this, he slowly rubbed the top of Charmander's cage again, despite the Fire type Pokemon's refusing growls.

"What kind of offer?" Red asked skeptically.

"W-Wait, don't listen to him!" a voice screamed from in front of the kitchen door. Said voice, which sounded slightly more youthful than Bill's, was accompanied by frantic footsteps.

Red, Leaf and Bill turned to the person who piped up, who shared an uncanny resemblance with the Pokemaniac! The same brown hair, the same blue shirt, the same complexion... It was all there! Bill didn't have a twin brother, did he? No, that couldn't be. He had a sister, but no sources mention him having a brother. There was also no way that any fan of Bill's could make themselves look that much like him. The Pokemaniac himself looked disgruntled.

"Who are you, and how did you get into my house?" he asked, trying to hold an air of professionalism around him.

"You know exactly who I am," the doppelganger responded, pointing a finger at him. "You're the one who's broken into my house!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

The lookalike turned to Red and Leaf. "You've gotta listen to me. This man knocked me unconscious, so I wouldn't be able to stop him from pretending to be me. I'm the real Bill!" Upon seeing their perplexed faces, panic instilled in him. "Now's not the time for those skeptical looks! I'm not joshing you guys!"

Red narrowed his eyes as he and Pikachu turned to each of the Bills. "If you're really not trying to fool us, you should know something that the fake Bill doesn't."

"I've got it!" Leaf's sudden declaration everyone's attention. "Bill should know about what happened in his life more than anyone else does, especially if it's related to Pokemon." She turned around and got into a thinking pose, unaware that one of the Bills adjusted his collar in an anxious manner. A few seconds passed before Leaf addressed them once more. "Okay, you two. The real Bill should definitely be able to answer this question. What was the first Pokemon you caught?"

The one to her left scoffed and said, "Oh, that's easy. The first Pokemon I caught was an Eevee!"

It only made sense. Bill's favorite Pokemon was Eevee, though he loved its evolutions almost as much. There was an innate cuteness to it that made everyone's hearts melt, which was happened when Bill stumbled upon one in a nature walk. It didn't matter that Bill owned the rare Farfetch'd. It didn't even matter that he had one of Kanto's starter Pokemon. People always associated him with Eevee because it was the one that really inspired him to start his collection. Come to think of it, it was pretty easy to piece together that Eevee was Bill's first Pokemon.

Or so people thought.

"That is wrong."

The Pokemaniac, well, the person Red and Leaf believed to be the Pokemaniac, was shocked. "W-what? What do you mean I'm wrong!? I'm-"

"Allow me to show you."

Confident that the confusion had been cleared, the second Bill took out a Poke Ball from his pocket and revealed his first Pokemon to everyone. The yellow Pokemon sat very still on the ground, but its ears and snout twitched ever so slightly. The first Bill couldn't believe it. This thing was 'his' first Pokemon? But it was so puny, so weak! Meanwhile, Red and Leaf were intrigued by this Pokemon's appearance.

**"Abra: the Psi Pokemon.**

**Abra sleeps for 18 hours every day. It uses a variety of extrasensory powers, such as mind reading, even while asleep. If Abra senses danger in its current location, it will teleport elsewhere to safety."**

"Abra was a lot handier than you originally thought," the second Bill, the real Bill, said. "In any case, it's a common misconception that my first Pokemon was Eevee. Unfortunately for you, it's a misconception that you've taken as truth. I actually have quite a history with Abra, but I don't think that an impostor like you has earned their story time!"

The now-revealed impostor crossed his arms. He knew that he should have taken the psychic runt with him after locking up Bill, but he didn't think that it would have been capable of saving its owner! Darn. The hole in his plans just got bigger. Still, there was no use getting too angry, he reminded himself. Even if he was revealed to be the fake Bill, he still had one more trick up his sleeve. The mere thought of it brought a smirk to his face.

"What's so funny?" Leaf demanded.

"Well, since you and Red found out my little secret, I thought I'd apologize and make up for it... by showing you my true colors!"

With ease, he managed to pull off his entire set of brown hair, revealing purple hair underneath. He was wearing a wig the entire time! That was when it occurred to Red and Leaf... This man's entire outfit was a disguise! With the wig off, he decided to discard the latex mask and his 'Bill costume', revealing black clothing with the letter 'R' on the shirt. It was a member of Team Rocket all along! Though the mask made him look as young as Bill, he was actually considerably older. A feature of his that stood out was the way he groomed his purple hair and beard. He wasn't as unkempt as the other members were, and he certainly didn't strike fear with his appearance the way Proton did. However, Red and Leaf still kept on their toes.

"They call me Petrel," he said to them. "I'm an executive of Team Rocket and their master of disguise. I never leave the base without one!"

"So, why me?" Bill asked. "You never told me before you knocked me out."

"Oh, my apologies." Petrel smirked as he mockingly bowed to him. "I was just about to get to that. You see, Bill, you're quite an influence to many people. They would follow your lead if you began showing support to something or someone. I was sent to use your influence to get people all over Kanto to pledge allegiance to Team Rocket, making our future objectives much easier to achieve! However, I first had to silence anyone that would rat me out, including you." The executive leaned on the cage containing Charmander (once again, to the Lizard Pokemon's disgust) while gesturing towards the others. "While I was here, I came across your collection of Pokemon. Amazing, truly amazing... I'm sure they'll make fine additions to Team Rocket's, wouldn't you say?"

"Just what is it with Team Rocket and stealing Pokemon?" Red demanded.

"Yeah! Last time we ran into you crooks in Mt Moon, the leader of that group said that they were taking all of the Clefairy!" Leaf added.

Petrel seemed startled by the two's comments, but realized something afterwards. "Ah, so it was _you two _that stopped Proton! The boss did tell me to watch out for two brown haired children accompanied by a Pikachu, but I didn't think that you were them! But, no. Stealing Bill's collection wasn't my main objective, though you could say that it was a side benefit."

"Either way, you won't take those Pokemon and we won't let you carry out your plans!" Red couldn't stand running into Team Rocket again so soon, let alone another executive. Leaf gave a defiant glare alongside Red. The two were willing to stop Petrel, even if they had to battle him.

And that was exactly what the executive had in mind.

"Since you meddling kids insist on getting in my way, I don't see why I shouldn't put you down."

Petrel sent out two Pokemon in front of him. The one on his left had a yellow upper body and a brown lower body. Strangely enough, it showed little to no emotion on its face, merely making a droning sound as it stared at Red and Leaf. Its trunk twitched at the sight of them. They were its targets, and they would be eliminated. The purple sludgy Pokemon on the right was slightly more expressive. It held its hands out like a zombie would, letting out a deep chuckle. It was going to enjoy this battle... Red and Leaf felt chills crawling up their backs as they scanned Drowzee and Grimer, eyes glued to them.

**"Drowzee: the Hypnosis Pokemon.**

**Drowzee is said to have descended from a supernatural being that devoured nightmares. Like its supposed ancestor, it puts enemies to sleep before eating their dreams, good or bad, though it occasionally gets sick from eating the latter kind."**

**"Grimer: the Sludge Pokemon.**

**Sludge that was exposed to X-rays from the Moon transformed into Grimer. It usually makes its home in filthy areas. It thrives by consuming all sorts of waste, but it particularly loves wastewater from sewer pipes and factories."**

For a moment, Red was tense. If the battle with Proton ended with a literal bang, he didn't want to imagine what Petrel could do. However, he tried to think rationally about the situation. If this executive's plan was to get people across Kanto to follow Team Rocket, an explosion at the Sea Cottage wouldn't have been the best start to it. After all, Team Rocket was always the first to be blamed for such events!

"Well, looks like we have no choice. Ready, Leaf?"

"You bet I am. Leo, do your best out there!"

"Bulbasaur, let's go!"

Leaf's oldest Pokemon and Red's newest stepped into battle. They were both wary of Grimer's expression, but in the case of Drowzee, Bulbasaur couldn't help but take a step back because of the lack of expression on its face. That could only make the yellow and brown Pokemon even more dangerous in the long run, thanks to the element of surprise it possessed. It also didn't help that 'Hypnosis Pokemon' implied 'Psychic type', which the Poison type was weak to. However, he trusted that Red knew better than to send out a Pokemon with an obvious type disadvantage for no reason. Meanwhile, Bill watched from the side, Abra next to him. Neither of them knew what was going to happen next, but somehow, they had a feeling that Red and Leaf would pull through.

They just had to.

Otherwise, Petrel would get his way, and who knows what would happen afterwards!?

"Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf!"

"Leo, use Water Gun!"

The two starter Pokemon stood side by side and unleashed their attacks. A flurry of leaves and a stream of water were shot forward. Their trainers gave knowing nods to each other. A combined widespread attack seemed like the perfect start to the battle.

Petrel snickered. "Did you really think they made me an executive for no reason? Grimer, use Minimize! Drowzee, use Confusion!"

The Sludge Pokemon's body glowed a brighter shade of purple before shrinking. Water Gun sailed above its head and dissipated behind it, while the nearby leaves were caught by a mysterious psychic power. Drowzee then clustered all of them with one hand. Grimer grew again and, upon orders, fired sludge at Bulbasaur and Leo. Immediately after, Drowzee hurled Bulbasaur's leaves in a funnel shape that trailed behind the Sludge attack. Petrel's combined attack covered an even wider range and was much too quick for the starter Pokemon to avoid. As much as they tried to avoid it, they ended up taking the brunt of the attack, Leo moreso because he was weak to Grass.

"So far so good, for me," Petrel said, rubbing a gloved hand across his hair. "Both of you, use Disable!"

Grimer and Drowzee stared at their opponents with an eerie red glow. Briefly, Bulbasaur and Leo felt pain in their bodies. Under the effects of Disable, they were no longer able to use Razor Leaf or Water Gun for a while. Luckily for Leaf, Leo still had Bubble as a backup Water type move, but Red's options were more limited. He clenched his fists. He couldn't afford to be deadweight in a battle such as this! As if able to read his mind, Pikachu chanted for his friends to keep going. He may not have been in as good of shape to battle as he normally was, but he couldn't afford to watch his friends lose to that Rocket scum!

Red gave a smile, letting his Electric type Pokemon know that he would do anything but give up.

"We've still got this, Bulbasaur!" he then assured his Grass type Pokemon. "Pull Grimer towards you with Vine Whip!"

"I won't let you," Petrel said. "Drowzee, stop the vines with Confusion. Grimer, Minimize."

Bulbasaur stretched out two vines and lashed them towards the shrinking Grimer, but on cue, they glowed blue and were under Drowzee's control. It was then that Leaf saw her opportunity.

"Go for it, Leo! Run in and use Bubble!"

"Ah! Grimer, use Sludge!" Luckily for Petrel, he gave the command right on time. If the sludge hadn't collided with the bubbles, Drowzee would have taken a big hit, and that wouldn't have been fair. Sneaky attacks like those were _his_ specialty!

Little did he know it, there was one thing he didn't think about: the fact that Leo had gained ground. The collisions between the bubbles and the globs of sludge resulted in a foamy haze that obscured Leo. After Leaf's voice rang an order, he appeared out of it, ready to give a good shoulder bash to Grimer. In that brief moment, Petrel said nothing, as he was confident that the Poison type Pokemon's hardened defense would be enough to withstand the attack. Luckily for Leaf, he was completely wrong! A big tackle to Grimer was all it took to send it crashing into Drowzee, stopping it from having a psychic hold on Bulbasaur's vines. The two tumbled along the grass, which put them in a prime position for the opposition to strike.

"Nice one, Leaf!" Red congratulated his friend, giving her a high five.

"Why, thank you! Okay, Leo. Use Bubble again!"

"Bring them in with Vine Whip, Bulbasaur!"

Drowzee and Grimer found themselves constricted together by two vines. To Petrel's shock, they were then forcefully yanked towards the Seed Pokemon, all while being pelted by bubbles from that turtle. After Leo stopped his attack, Bulbasaur threw his opponents into the ground. That'll teach Team Rocket! As Drowzee and Grimer groggily picked themselves up, Petrel noticed that the damage was really adding up on them, and he didn't like it one bit. He had to admit that Bulbasaur and Squirtle were a pretty powerful combination. However, that was only when they were working together...

After being told to, Grimer once again hurled globs of sludge that rose and fell on its opponents, while Drowzee was kept on standby.

"Red, what should we do!?" Leaf shouted over the sounds of projectiles crashing into the ground.

"We'll... have to get up close! Bulbasaur, dodge the sludge and use Tackle!"

Petrel smirked. Perfect.

To support Red's close range attack, Leaf had Leo fire bubbles at Grimer's sludge. Still, Petrel's Drowzee did nothing, which was perfect for Bulbasaur. As Bulbasaur charged forward and dodged incoming projectiles, haze began to surround him, haze that was the result of the Water and Poison type attacks crashing into each other. He heard the Team Rocket member's voice, but because of the sounds of the collisions, he couldn't quite make out what he was saying. Suddenly, as the Seed Pokemon emerged from the haze, a strange power caught him and held him up.

"Bulbasaur, no!" Red shouted, cursing himself in his head.

"Leo, stop Drowzee with Bubble!"

Petrel said nothing to Grimer, who instinctively backed away from the Squirtle's attack. Instead, he motioned for Drowzee to use Bulbasaur as a shield. Emotionless as ever, the Hypnosis Pokemon pulled him in front of it and swung him around. Before Red could utter another word, he saw his Pokemon being pelted by the very attack that his close friend had ordered for! Bulbasaur gritted his teeth in pain. The damage from each individual bubble added up, despite not being very effective, and being under that psychic hold put pressure on his body. Red and Leaf gasped at Petrel's tactic.

"You really need to watch your aim, girl," the executive teased Leaf, wagging a finger at her. Red tried to return Bulbasaur to his Poke Ball in order to pull him out of Drowzee's Confusion, but Drowzee lifted Bulbasaur away from the beam of light, effectively shutting down that plan. "Nice try, boy, but that won't work!" Drowzee then slammed Bulbasaur to the ground a couple of times, causing even more harm to him, before lifting him up again.

At this point, Petrel knew that he had the upper hand on Red and Leaf. As long as Drowzee kept its hold on Bulbasaur, it was only Leo against it and Grimer, and he had a feeling that Red wouldn't have dared to tip the odds in his favor by sending out another Pokemon alongside his Grass type. That would have been cheating and he would have been no better than Team Rocket! Whatever Leaf's turtle could throw out, Grimer could respond with attacks that were just as strong, and if Leo even attempted to hit Drowzee, he would be attacking his friend instead. That'll show those two kids not to mess with Team Rocket! Even if Razor Leaf and Water Gun were available to them, there was no way that - wait a minute...

The same red glow from earlier surrounded Bulbasaur and Leo. Disable was no longer in effect.

"This is your chance! Use Razor Leaf!" Red called out to Bulbasaur, determination in his eyes. Despite this, Bulbasaur was feeling anything but determined, for Drowzee's psychic grip threatened to tighten on him.

Petrel laughed. "Even if your Bulbasaur's able to use Razor Leaf, there's no way it's gonna be given the chance to use it!"

"Don't listen to him, Bulbasaur! I believe in you!"

As much as possible, Bulbasaur looked around. In a way, Bulbasaur was able to empathize with the caged Pokemon. Even though Charmander had never met this particular Bulbasaur before, it made a scratching motion out of encouragement, wanting nothing more than that old man taken down. Then, there were Bulbasaur's friends. Red didn't take him in for no reason. Right now, he was counting on him, and so was everyone else! Even if it strained his body, Bulbasaur did his very best to muster enough energy to attack. At last, razor sharp leaves were unleashed from beneath his bulb. Drowzee didn't have enough time to release its victim and catch the leaves in the short span of time it had left, and before it knew it, it was knocked out!

"You did it, Bulbasaur!" Leaf cheered.

"Way to go!" Red added. "I told you that you could do it!"

"Pika pi!"

"Squirtle squirt."

As Bulbasaur tried not to blush because of the praise, Petrel cursed his luck. Of course, a critical hit from Bulbasaur had to be enough to take the Psychic type down, of course! He thought to himself. With only one Pokemon left, he didn't stand a chance anymore. That was why recalled not only Drowzee, but Grimer, too.

"I now see that you're as tough as I've heard," Petrel said, responding to the confused looks on everyone's faces. "Better to leave now than to get pummeled by you two."

"Hey, wait, you-"

"But since I'm a nice guy, I'll give you some advice. The boss doesn't like what he's heard of you. No doubt, he'll order us to take extra measures when dealing with you two. I'm not gonna convince you guys to stop interfering with us, mainly because it'd be impossible to, so you'd better train hard and prepare yourselves for what's to come!" With a smile, Petrel pulled out a shockingly familiar object: a small metallic sphere. Chuckling, he threw it down, resulting in a thick smoke obscuring him from sight.

Just like before, when the smoke cleared, Petrel was gone.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Gosh, these chapters just keep getting longer and longer, don't they? I couldn't help it here, though I try to keep the norm at quite a few hundred words lower. I was going to save the Petrel fight for next chapter, but other than the reveal of the fake Bill, not much would have happened this chapter if I went with that.

My original plans for Petrel were to introduce him at Vermilion City, but I changed my mind and had him debut here. In a big city, Team Rocket should have a big plan to scare a lot of people, but I can see Petrel preferring the smaller undercover work over missions that are on a larger scale, the latter of which could be handled by the other executives. After all, he considers himself Team Rocket's master of disguise, so I'd imagine that he loves the idea of gaining useful info or spreading false info under an alias. However, he doesn't go through with his mission once he knows he's done for, evident in him surrendering to Red and Leaf after Drowzee got knocked out. Sounds pretty lazy for an executive, I know... But keep in mind that in HG/SS, he willingly gave important information to the protagonist, which led to Team Rocket's defeat.

Only the boss knew what he was thinking when he promoted Petrel...

As I said before, I like to use music as inspiration for my writing. For battles with the Team Rocket executives, I associate each one with a boss theme from the Mega Man Zero series! In order:  
Proton - Crash (Zero 1)  
Petrel - Strong Will (Zero 2)  
Ariana - Scrapped Beat (Zero 3)  
Archer - Nothing Beats (Zero 4)

That reminds me! Two chapters ago, I promised to reveal the character themes I had for Red, Leaf, Blue and Yellow. They may actually be subject to change later on, but right now, they're more Mega Man themes, this time from the Mega Man X series.  
Red - Sky Lagoon (X) (X4)  
Leaf - Eurasia City: Broken Highway (X) (X5)  
Blue - VS Zero (X2, specifically the remix from Marvel VS Capcom 3)  
Yellow - Standby, Zero (X: Command Mission)

I need to keep these for reference somewhere, but I don't want to litter my profile with things that only relate to one of my stories...

Anyway, February's very special to me (but _not_ because of Valentine's Day!), so I'll try to have the next chapter up by the end of the month. Regardless, I hope you guys are excited for it because after getting to know the real Bill a little, Red will finally have his second Gym battle!

* * *

**-Have a great day, week, month, whatever, and stay upbeat, y'all!-**


	14. Chapter 13: Making A Splash

**I own no Pokemon characters. Credits to Game Freak.**

* * *

**-Chapter 13: Igniting A Fire And Making A Splash-**

* * *

With Team Rocket executive Petrel defeated, Red and Leaf got to work on freeing Bill's Pokemon from their cages. Though Bulbasaur and Leo were tuckered out after the battle, both of them were still willing to pitch in and pull on the bars. Everyone else was called upon to lend a hand, too, and thanks to their combined efforts, it didn't take long for all of Bill's Pokemon to be free. Relieved that they could live their lives again, they all gave thankful cries before mingling among themselves, all except a certain fire lizard.

Bill whistled. "That was some great work you put in!" he then told Red and Leaf. "Thanks for saving me, guys. I really owe you, uh..."

"Leaf and Red," the former said with a giggle, rubbing the back of her head. "Either way, you don't need to thank us. We were just in the neighborhood."

"I'm just glad that the Pokemon are safe," Red added, Pikachu yipping his own response afterwards. "We didn't help you just so we could be rewarded for it."

"But I have to make it up to you somehow," Bill told him earnestly. "Let me see... Oh, I know! Hold on!"

Excited, he headed back inside his house.

"Sorry for the wait!" came his voice a short time later. Red and Leaf turned to Bill, who was holding what appeared to be two tickets. "I was invited to a party at the SS Anne in Vermilion City and I could bring a friend with me. Problem is, I'm heading for a conference at that time, so I can't make it. You two should go instead of me." Both were excited to be given the opportunity to go to this party, but Leaf definitely made it apparent on her end.

Meanwhile, Pikachu noticed Charmander holding its claws in front of its eyes in deep thought. He went up to the Lizard Pokemon and asked what was up. The humans noticed this, but neither of them could understand the Pokemon's exact words, but the gestures they made to each other gave signals. It didn't take too long for Red for figure out what was up.

"Charmander must be thinking about what Petrel said to it," he told the others before offering a hand to the Fire type Pokemon. "Hey, it's not true what that guy said. Any Pokemon has the potential to become strong and you're no exception. In fact, why don't you prove it to us?"

"Char...?"

"Yeah, why don't we have a battle? Then you can show everyone how strong you really are!"

It took the Lizard Pokemon a while to think of its answer. What did it really have to prove to the humans who saved it? It didn't want to disappoint them, so why bother? Then again, all those times it was picked on for being weak... Charmander could disprove those people, even if they weren't around to see it! Charmander answered with an excited cry and ran to the other side of the hypothetical battlefield, before calling for everyone else to back away for a moment. Red stepped forward, too, deciding who to send out. He still wanted to heed Nurse Joy's words, so Pikachu was out. Bulbasaur was exhausted after battling Petrel, so that only left...

"Butterfree, you're up!"

Charmander already put its guard up. A first stage Pokemon going up against a fully evolved one didn't do much for the confidence it showed, despite the type advantage. Red thought otherwise. Butterfree was his most battle-ready Pokemon at this point. If Charmander could go toe-to-toe with him, that would prove how capable it was!

"Let's start simple. Use Tackle!"

Charmander's natural instincts told it to jump out of the way, but it instead charged forward, claws glowing like metal. The two Pokemon crashed into each other with Tackle and Metal Claw, and the attacks sent them reeling away. Butterfree flapped his wings rapidly to slow himself down, but he was forced to get moving after Charmander shot bolts of fire out of its mouth. Being up in the sky, the Butterfly Pokemon was able to avoid his opponent's Ember with little issues, though a couple of flames grazed his little purple body, throwing him ever so slightly off balance. Nevertheless, his next command was to use String Shot.

His aim was as good as it was as a Metapod, having gotten the Fire type all tied up, and he turned to Red for his next move. Upon orders, he used telekinesis to lift up his opponent, who squirmed around in an attempt to free itself of both the string and the psychic hold. However, with one lift of its claws, the string broke! Butterfree wasted no time throwing his opponent back.

Charmander propelled itself even further with another barrage of fire bolts. The angle and speed at which the attack was released put Charmander in a good position to land safely and nail Butterfree simultaneously. As much as he tried, Butterfree just ended up being pelted by more bolts of fire than last time and sustained a lot more damage. His wing flapping became considerably slower thanks to the power of Charmander's super effective move.

"I just knew that that mean Team Rocket executive was talking nonsense," Leaf said to Bill from the sidelines. "Look at those two go!"

"That was one part of your not so friendly conversation with him that I overheard," Bill replied, watching as Butterfree and Charmander continued to duke it out. "Petrel wasn't wrong about when I began taking care of Charmander. What he left out was that I haven't officially caught it yet."

"You mean, in a Poke Ball? How come?"

"I've actually been waiting for someone to raise it as their own. It's always wanted to go out there and face strong trainers, but it's also wanted a trainer of its own, someone to take care of it. Its previous trainer didn't do that at all... Perhaps Red here is the right person for the job!"

"You know what, Bill? I think so, too."

Meanwhile, Butterfree had just immobilized Charmander with Confusion once again. Like before, the response was a wide range Ember, but Red anticipated this and told him to dodge while keeping hold of his opponent. Butterfree was about to follow up, but he lost his grip and fell down. Charmander was free from the telekinetic attack, but not from gravity, which pulled it down faster. When both Pokemon were on the ground, they panted and tried to push themselves back up. Butterfree couldn't believe that he was holding up so well against a Fire type Pokemon, but he still didn't want to disappoint Red and collapse completely. On the other hand, Charmander felt an exhilarating feeling inside, one that had not been felt ever since Bill began taking care of it, and a sense of pride.

"See, Charmander? I told you that you were strong!" Red called out to the Lizard Pokemon, adding to the swell of positive emotions within it. That was the first time a person complimented its strength! After he returned Butterfree, he walked up to Charmander and held it up. "Bill, well, Petrel, said you don't have a trainer anymore. Is that true?" The Lizard Pokemon didn't know whether to feel sad or angry, but it nodded regardless. "Well, how about I be your new trainer?"

This shocked Charmander. It was worthy? Someone wanted to take it in? What fantastic news! The thing was, though, that it wanted to make sure Red's other Pokemon were okay with it. Pikachu chimed in, telling his new new friend that Butterfree and Bulbasaur would gladly welcome the new addition to the team. Leaf and Bill walked up to it and gave their approval.

"You've wanted this opportunity for so long," the Pokemaniac said. "You should take it."

It didn't take much longer for the lizard to give an eager cry. With that said and done, Red was more than happy to tap an empty Poke Ball on its head. Charmander knew the feeling of being inside one, but it hadn't looked forward to it in such a long time. Red, too, was looking forward to raising it as his own. With one shake, two shakes, three shakes and a brief glow, Charmander had been caught.

Leaf ran over to Red and wrapped an arm over his shoulder. "Wait until Yellow sees this, Red. You have both Bulbasaur _and _Charmander! Hands off my Squirtle, though."

"Ha ha, you know I would never ask such a thing, Leaf!" Red replied, pointing his Pokedex at his newly caught Pokemon.

**"Charmander, Male**

**Type: Fire**

**Ability: Blaze**

**Known Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember, Smokescreen, Metal Claw"**

"We'll get stronger together, Charmander," he promised.

Bill walked up to the two with a smile on his face. He had a feeling that he made the right decision by giving Charmander to Red. Of course, what better way for him to start building a bond than to get to know his new Pokemon? To his and Leaf's great surprise, Bill offered to let them hang out in the garden and do just that, and he even offered them his guest room to stay the night if they wanted! It was a great way to end the day on a high note, especially after the stress they'd been through over the last two days. What was especially great for Red was that Bill knew quite a few things about the Gym Leader of Cerulean City and what type of Pokemon she specialized in.

But, would this knowledge give him a significant advantage in the battle? The next day, after he and Leaf returned to Cerulean City, they were about to find out.

* * *

Apart from size, the scoreboard to the right and the rows of seats to the left, Cerulean City's Gym didn't resemble Pewter City's in the slightest. Inside, Red and Leaf couldn't help but feel the hairs on their bodies stick up. They would have believed that they stumbled upon an Ice type Gym, were it not for the giant swimming pool in front of them. Pikachu's teeth chattered and he clung onto Red's jean leg for warmth. Everywhere he looked, the pale green walls were painted with various Water type Pokemon. For a Gym, this place sure looked like a public pool for humans, particularly young children. Then again, being that this was a Gym, the pool was probably a bit too deep for young children to swim in! There was a low diving board and a high diving board, sure, but what kind of public pool had small platforms scattered around it?

"Surprised by what you see?" a voice from the other end called out. Just like in Pewter City, a teenager was the Gym Leader of Cerulean City. She wore a yellow tank top with jean shorts and sneakers. As she stood between the two diving boards, she rubbed her hand across her orange hair and introduced herself. "I'm Misty, your host for this battle! Uh... So, is this going to be a double battle, or..."

"Oh, I'm the only one here taking the Gym challenge," the boy with the red cap said to her. "My name's Red."

"And I'm Leaf, his traveling partner," Leaf introduced herself as she took Pikachu over to the seats.

"Red and Leaf..." Misty placed a finger on her chin and thought. She'd heard of those names before, but where? "Ah, now I remember! A guy called Blue told me that you two would show up."

"Blue's been here?" Red asked. "How did he do?"

"Urgh, let me tell you, that guy was a real smart aleck! How do you two put up with it!?"

Red and Leaf couldn't help but laugh.

"That's what we're told all the time," they said together.

"Even though he seemed all talk, he did have the skill to back it up. He was able to find my Pokemon's weak spots and nail them so easily." The Gym Leader took a deep breath before continuing. "That seems to be a common strategy people try to go for, but few are able to actually pull it off... At least they have the right mindset. Every trainer who wants to turn pro needs to have a policy on what Pokemon they train and how they battle! If you go in all willy-nilly, you're done for!"

Red and Leaf were able to understand where Misty was coming from. They knew that some trainers focused on raising Pokemon of one certain type, Gym Leaders and Elite Four members especially, one reason being that the type would reflect that person's personality to other people. However, despite being the aspiring battler of the two, Red wasn't too sure about his 'policy'. He did decide not to use strictly one type of Pokemon, since that would mean sharing common weaknesses to other types, but in truth, he didn't think that far ahead. Naturally, Misty's following question caught him off guard.

"So, what's your approach?"

Up until this point, the only Pokemon that Red sought out were Pikachu and Butterfree. Bulbasaur and Charmander warmed up to him and were allowed to join him, but he didn't go out looking for the starter Pokemon, or any other Pokemon. Red tried to hide any uncertainty as he spoke.

"Well... so far, I haven't been searching for particular Pokemon to train. You could say I've been going with the flow, using whatever life throws at me. If I were to give an answer, though, it would be... to raise a balanced team, with Pokemon that can rely on each other to back them up!"

Misty gave a slow nod. She remembered Blue saying a similar thing, except he focused more on the power his team possessed. Sure, he would pick up weak Pokemon if he wanted to, but training them to be strong was his first priority.

"I see... I personally believe that a good offense can break down any form of defense, especially certain 'rock hard' Pokemon's defenses. I like to be able to control the flow of battle, so my opponents don't have an edge against me, and the best way for me to do that is to go all out with Water type Pokemon! I'm correct in assuming that you already have one Gym Badge, am I?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Well then, the League rules state that we have to have a two on two battle, but don't think that my Pokemon and I will hold back!"

With a click of Misty's fingers, the scoreboard lit up. Unlike Pewter City's, this one's display was in front of an aqua blue background. From the side, Leaf leaned forward, her heart pumping in anticipation. Pikachu frowned slightly. Since Misty used Water type Pokemon, he would have been the perfect choice! But, no, he couldn't be upset now that the Gym battle was about to begin.

"Piiikaaa!" he called out encouragingly.

"Hey, thanks! I'll make you proud," Red responded. Turning back to Misty, he sent out his first Pokemon. "Here we go again, Butterfree. Let's do this!"

A Bug type was certainly an interesting choice from the challenger's part, Misty mused. She shook slightly at the sight of this one. In general, something about Bug type Pokemon rubbed her the wrong way, but Butterfree didn't look too disgusting. In fact, it was really dainty. However, she wouldn't let that cloud her judgement of Red as a battler.

"I choose you, Staryu!"

From that ever familiar red light came a Pokemon that Red and Leaf hadn't seen before. What struck them as odd about the brown starfish was the red core in the middle, kept in place by a gold ring that looped around its lower left appendage. They turned to their Pokedexes for information.

**"Staryu: the Star Shape Pokemon.**

**This enigmatic Pokemon appears in large numbers by seashores. At night, its core flashes a red light. Staryu can effortlessly regenerate any appendage it loses in battle."**

"So if you're thinking about crippling Staryu with physical moves, think again," Misty said, Staryu adding to her words with a strange 'kyah!'. "But the first move is yours, so I guess I can't stop you from trying."

"I have other plans. Butterfree, use String Shot!"

Butterfree flew higher into the air, took aim at Staryu and fired a sticky string. Staryu just stood there. Misty had to admit. Beginning the match with a status move was original, but not unaccounted for!

"Staryu, use Rapid Spin!"

At once, the starfish jumped towards the string, spinning like a super fast saw blade as it rose higher and higher. It cut the String Shot into tiny pieces and collided straight into Butterfree. Butterfree reeled back as Staryu, still spinning, lined itself up with unobstructed water and dived in. By the time Butterfree shook it off and took flight again, he lost sight of his opponent! He turned back and forth frantically. Oh, not even one minute in and he was already about to lose because he couldn't find where his opponent had run off to!

"It's alright, Butterfree. We just have to wait," Red assured him. Little did he know it, he would be waiting for quite a while...

Butterfree calmed himself down and made multiple laps above the pool. Red, Leaf and Pikachu also kept their eyes open for Staryu, though no one except Misty knew when it would appear again. Time seemed to slow down as the anticipation was killing everyone. Eventually, Red devised another plan. He was about to make a substitution, but before he could utter a word, Staryu whirled in at sonic speed, landing another direct hit at the butterfly. It landed in the water once again, but it wasted no time yo-yoing in for a third hit. In the short moment Red had, he decided to keep Butterfree in and land some hits of his own.

"Confusion! Throw it into a wall!"

Butterfree's eyes glowed blue and he held his opponent in midair. The attack seemed to come more naturally to him than before, since he had no problems keeping the starfish in place. Misty was about to make a move of her own, but Butterfree threw Staryu right where Red wanted him to. The collision with the hard surface really did a number on it, resulting in stumbling as it tried to get up.

"Staryu, you can get up from that, can't you?" Misty asked in a concerned tone.

"Kyah!" Staryu sounded, its core blinking with excitement.

"That's the spirit. Now use Bubble Beam!"

"Let's turn that attack around, Butterfree. Use Confusion again!"

A strange feeling came over the butterfly. As he prepared his attack, his eyes glowed not blue, but a bright purple. Everyone gasped. No one knew what was coming next, but it certainly wasn't Confusion. The stream of blue bubbles drew closer and closer, but suddenly, they were ripped right through by a multicolored beam! Before Staryu could react, this new attack smashed into it, causing an explosion upon impact.

Leaf and Pikachu were stunned, while Red gawked in amazement. "That... was awesome! You learned 'Psybeam'!" The Butterfly Pokemon couldn't help but 'freeee' with glee. He really was getting stronger!

However, the sight of the explosion subsiding put a halt to any celebrations. Red and Butterfree got on their toes, for they didn't know what their opponents were going to do next. As impressive as the newly learned Psybeam was, Staryu still held on, and it had another trick in its disposal.

"Butterfree's tougher than it looks, but we still won't lose!" Misty declared. "Staryu, use Power Gem!"

Staryu's core blinked twice. Then, a bright red beam was shot forward, sparkling like gemstones. As beautiful as the attack looked, though, there was no time to admire it. Butterfree jutted forward and narrowly avoided the beam, which collided with the wall behind him. Before he could hold his opponent with Confusion, the Star Shape Pokemon dived back into the water. Butterfree grew worried again. Playing the waiting game didn't do him any favors last time, so he wasn't sure what good it would do this time.

"We'll bait it out with your new attack," Red told him. "Use Psybeam in the water!"

Butterfree fired a multicolored beam of psychic energy as directed, causing the water to become slightly choppy. Red knew that just one attack wouldn't be enough to force Staryu to show itself, so he told his Pokemon to use Psybeam back to back. Each one caused the water to churn more vigorously and even made some of it splash out of the pool, threatening to soak poor Leaf and Pikachu (luckily, before things got worse, they retreated to the back row!). Despite the pool looking like a raging storm at the Seafoam Islands, Red and Misty stood their ground. The former was hoping that the waves were violent enough to force Staryu out, while the latter had faith that Staryu would hold on. In time, the barrage of Psybeams slowed to a stop. Then, Butterfree was panting.

It was Red's turn to worry, while Misty grinned.

"Power Gem!"

Butterfree lowered himself and tried to catch his breath, not noticing a dim light from beneath the surface of the pool.

"Butterfree, get out of there!"

Despite Red's scream, it was too late. Staryu's Power Gem blasted the shrieking Butterfree into the wall behind him. Leaf and Pikachu had to force themselves to look away from the pained state the butterfly was left in, while Red could only pray that he was alright...

"Butterfree... Can you... Can you get up?"

After using Power Gem from underwater, Staryu finally decided to show itself. It needed to see what would happen next, so it could respond accordingly. Misty had a feeling that this was the end of the line for Butterfree, but she kept her options open. Despite all odds, despite the massive amount of damage that had been done to him... Butterfree managed to take off from the floor, ever so slightly. Red was greatly relieved.

"Thank goodness you're okay! Alright, Butterfree, constrict Staryu with String Shot!"

"If it didn't work the first time, it definitely won't work the second!" Misty reprimanded him. "In this state, Butterfree's toast, Staryu. Finish it with Rapid Spin!"

Just like last time, Staryu jumped forward while spinning, shredding Butterfree's string and heading straight for him. Red noticed that it still had quite a ways to go, so he quickly gave his next command.

"Use Psybeam!"

"Aaah! Never mind, Staryu! Power Gem!"

While spinning, Staryu charged its attack in the same time Butterfree charged his. Right when the two were near each other, a mighty explosion boomed between them, forcing everyone else to shield their eyes. As it began to clear away, a tense atmosphere loomed around the Gym. The two battlers called out their Pokemon's names, hoping to get some sort of response. Leaf clasped her hands and Pikachu made a worried noise. Neither Butterfree nor Staryu were listening. That could only mean one thing, and that was confirmed when they were completely visible again.

Both of them lied on the side of the pool. Both of them were unconscious.

"A double knockout!" Leaf gasped.

"Pika...!"

"Butterfree... come back," Red said, recalling his Pokemon. "You were great out there."

"Thanks to you, too, Staryu. Return," Misty said also, following suit. She then faced her challenger with fierce eyes. "Don't think that it's over yet, Red! Poliwhirl, I choose you!"

The bipedal Pokemon that appeared in front of the Gym Leader looked similar to a Poliwag, only it didn't have a tail. Instead, it had arms and gloved hands (wait, _were_ they gloves?). Upon closer inspection, Red and Leaf noticed that the spiral pattern on its belly swirled in the opposite direction to Poliwag's. Nevertheless, it was clear that the two Pokemon had a close relation to each other.

"The evolved form of Poliwag, huh?" Leaf mused, taking out her Pokedex.

**"Poliwhirl: the Tadpole Pokemon.**

**Its legs are much more developed than they were as a Poliwag. Although Poliwhirl can live in or out of water, it prefers the former. In the latter case, it sweats to keep its body slimy."**

The situation Red was in looked to be similar to when he was facing Brock. Both he and Misty were one Pokemon down and had one more to go. Although Poliwhirl didn't look nearly as threatening as Onix did back in Pewter City, there was no doubt that it was just as strong, if not stronger. Still, he wasn't planning to back down anytime soon. He looked at the Poke Ball that contained his next Pokemon, whose typing beat Water. He had been saving this one all along.

"Bulbasaur, I'm counting on you!"

Out came the Seed Pokemon himself, who turned to Red and gave him a nod. Meanwhile, Misty really wanted to know what was going through Red's head as he thought about his lineup. Usually, trainers of his level of experience sent out Pokemon with the type advantage right away. Why didn't Red make use of it from the beginning? Then, it occurred to her. If Bulbasaur went down earlier on, so did Red's chance of victory.

"So you saved your Grass type Pokemon until now to snag the win. Let me remind you that type matchups are important, but not everything. Poliwhirl, let's show 'em! Use Bubble Beam!"

"Poli! Whirl!" the Tadpole Pokemon called, making a battle-ready pose. It brought its hands forward and shot a huge barrage of bubbles out of them.

"Pop the bubbles with Razor Leaf, Bulbasaur!"

The amount that were headed Bulbasaur's way intimidated him at first, but he was able to slice through them all with a volley of leaves. They soared across the pool, cutting through each and every bubble that Poliwhirl produced, until they started to damage the Tadpole Pokemon itself. Poliwhirl crossed its left arm over its right arm and blocked, but the pain added up. Despite this, it just had to win the fight for Misty. It mustered enough strength to roll away from the ongoing attack and drop into the pool, where it truly shined.

"Misty's using the pool to her advantage again," Leaf murmured. "But Bulbasaur can still attack Poliwhirl." Next to her, Pikachu leaned forward and looked left and right, trying to guess where the Water type would pop out from this time.

Just as Leaf predicted, Red gave the command for Bulbasaur to send a flurry of sharp leaves down into the water. This time, the attack didn't cause as much of it to splash out of the pool. After one wave of projectiles, there were no signs of the tactic paying off, so Bulbasaur tried again and again from one platform to another. Concerned that there still seemed to be no effect, Red began thinking of another way around this situation.

However, falling into that state of mind was what Misty planned for.

"This is your chance, Poliwhirl. Give Bulbasaur a good Power-Up Punch!" she commanded.

The Seed Pokemon heard a loud splash, which came from possibly the least expected direction: behind him! Upon hearing Red's voice, Bulbasaur turned around and was about to bring out two vines, but he was just too slow. He was slugged by a fist that glowed a fiery orange and was sent crashing into the water with a splash. Water flew out in all directions, but when the area was visible again, Red could no longer see his Pokemon. His heart raced. Where was Bulbasaur? Could Bulbasaur even swim!? He called out his name, just hoping that he could hear him, but Misty kept up the pressure.

"Get in there and use Mega Punch!"

The strange thing about Poliwhirl was that, after using Power-Up Punch, there was a faint orange glow around its hands. It remained as Poliwhirl dived headfirst into the pool. Red clenched his fists in anxiety. He deduced that _Power-Up_ Punch did exactly as the name suggested, which spelled 'danger' for him and Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur, if you can hear me, use Vine Whip to stop Poliwhirl's attack!" Red's voice was drowned out by the splashing sound that came from the Tadpole Pokemon. Then, all that he and everyone else could hear were the sounds of attacks colliding underwater.

What followed were two gurgling sounds, one higher pitched and more frantic than the other. Then, a big splash came from the pool. The two battlers looked up and saw the Pokemon that emerged. Red would have been relieved to see Bulbasaur again, had it not been for the pain-filled cry that rang in the Gym. Darn it, why was he letting his Pokemon get beat up like that!? But there was no time to scold himself, for there was no doubt that Misty would have Poliwhirl follow up again.

"Now's your chance, Bulbasaur! Use Razor Leaf!" Red shouted, pointing directly below his Pokemon.

"You really think that'll work? Poliwhirl, block it and use Mega Punch!" Misty hollered.

Bulbasaur descended and fired leaves down at his opponent, but the ascending Poliwhirl brought out its left arm to block his Razor Leaf. Once it was slightly higher in the air than the Seed Pokemon, it thrust its right fist at him, sending him hurtling towards the center platform. Poliwhirl made a much smoother landing than he did, but it couldn't deny the stinging pain along its left arm. Poliwhirl clutched it as it watched Bulbasaur struggle to get up.

"You know, I'm actually impressed. Not many Pokemon who face my Poliwhirl can take two powered up Mega Punches," Misty said. "But Bulbasaur can only tank so many hits. I doubt that it has a way to recover the damage, so you'd better think of a comeback fast!"

She wasn't in the wrong. Bulbasaur had taken a lot more damage than Poliwhirl and he felt pain in his entire body, as opposed to one limb at most. Red pinched the bill of his cap, fearful for his Pokemon and the end result of this battle. It was clear that Poliwhirl had a lot more experience in battle, which gave it an edge. It also didn't help that Misty made full use of the pool, so Bulbasaur couldn't even see where his opponent would jump out from until it was too late. It was like she purposely designed the battlefield in such a way that she had a field advantage over her challengers!

Wait a minute... A field advantage...

Leaf and Pikachu noticed Red's eyes sway from side to side for some reason. Then, they turned to what he was looking back and forth between. The diving boards!

Misty eyed him questioningly. "What are you looking at?"

"The way I'm going to make my comeback." Red smiled a confident smile. "Bulbasaur! We can still do this!"

This feeling inside Bulbasaur... It was just like when he battled Petrel's Drowzee and Grimer. The fact that his trainer was still rooting for him, even when things were looking down... He stood strong and faced Poliwhirl. Yes. Red was right. They could still do this!

"That's the way. Use Growl!"

After taking a deep breath, Bulbasaur gave a loud cry, releasing shockwaves from his mouth. The volume at which he cried made Poliwhirl place its hands where its ears would be if it had them. From the corner of its eye, it saw that the orange glow surrounding one hand disappeared, and the same must have applied to the other hand. Bulbasaur's Growl ended, leaving Poliwhirl feeling... weaker. Back to its normal state, to be exact. As much as it wanted to get the attack boost back with Power-Up Punch, Misty decided that the best course of action was to go back into the water. The frog-like Pokemon did as told, dodging two vines in the process.

Bulbasaur was about to reach in, but Red stopped him. An odd move at first, but the Pokemon gave his trainer a nod to let him know that he trusted him.

"Use your vines to reach over to that diving board," Red told him, pointing to the lower one. If Bulbasaur needed the extra height, Red knew that he could reach from it to the higher one.

"Chase after it, Poliwhirl, and use Mega Punch!" Misty ordered. She was _not _going to let her opponent escape!

Bulbasaur slammed the platform with his vines, propelling himself forward and onto another platform, one that was fairly close to the low diving board. Afterwards, he took aim. He was a little shaky, given that he'd never done this before, but he actually managed to grab the edge of the diving board with his vines and pull himself up to it. It was amazing how much more Bulbasaur could see from the higher ground... but all admiration for the view was thrown aside as he saw a figure from the surface of the pool.

"Now, Poliwhirl!"

There was another big splash, but Red was quick on the draw.

"Grab its right arm!" he called out, although he didn't need to tell Bulbasaur twice. From the higher ground, the Seed Pokemon was easily able to see where Poliwhirl came from and react accordingly. With ease, he reached down with his vines and took hold of Poliwhirl's right arm, as told to.

"Poliwhirl!" Misty yelled. "Use Bubble Beam!"

"You've got this, Bulbasaur," Red encouraged him. "Slam it down!"

First, Bulbasaur swung Poliwhirl up, throwing off its already unsteady aim with a left-handed Bubble Beam. Then, he threw the Water type down to the floor, a loud thud echoing in the Gym. Misty gritted her teeth upon hearing her Pokemon's impact with the hard surface.

"Jump down and use Razor Leaf!" Red continued.

"Move it, Poliwhirl! Get outta there!" the Gym Leader screamed fearfully.

Bulbasaur leaped off the diving board and sent a storm of sharp leaves raining down onto Poliwhirl, who, tried as it might, just couldn't muster enough energy to roll away from the attack. It tensed its body, hoping that it would be able to handle the buffeting of the leaves and respond with a counterattack. After Bulbasaur's Razor Leaf ended and after he landed on the floor, Poliwhirl tried to push itself up. Unfortunately, the pain became too much for it, causing it to collapse one last time.

"Oh, Poliwhirl..." was all that Misty could utter before returning it to its Poke Ball. "Amazing job, Poliwhirl. Now you can take it nice and easy."

Words couldn't describe how happy Red was feeling at this point. He defeated another Gym Leader, and it only took one try this time! He ran over to Bulbasaur, while Leaf and Pikachu followed closely behind, and held him high. He also sent Butterfree back out, allowing him to rest on his shoulder. He took part in the battle, so he deserved some praise, too!

"You guys are the best," he said with a huge grin.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu agreed excitedly.

"But they couldn't have done it without a great trainer, am I right?" Leaf said, winking.

Red chuckled. "What did I do? My Pokemon were the real winners."

"Don't be so modest, Red," Misty teased, walking up to him. She took out something that resembled a water droplet. "Go on. Indulge yourself a little. Take the 'Cascade Badge' with you."

Slowly, but without hesitation, Red took the Gym Badge. He smiled as he pinned it next to the Boulder Badge. Two out of eight... One quarter of the way there... But he didn't need basic math to know how well he and his Pokemon were progressing.

"So, where are you headed next?" Misty asked Red and Leaf, the latter of whom took out a map.

"Well, this says that the nearest Gym is in Saffron City," Leaf said, tracing her finger from Cerulean to the aforementioned city.

"Sounds like we should be headed there next," Red added.

"Uh, about that, guys..." The two turned to Misty after her voice trailed off. "Saffron City's been on high alert lately, so no one from outside has been allowed through for quite a while. Those who have official permission need proof of it, and it's not easy to fake such a letter! You seem serious about Pokemon battling, Red, so I'd say take the Underground Path south of here to get to Vermilion City. Make the Gym there your next challenge."

"Alright, then. Thanks for the heads up, Misty."

"Thank _you_ for that battle!"

After Red and Misty shook hands, he and Leaf took off. With the second Gym Badge in hand, his hopes for the future were high. However, he had to remember that his victory was not thanks to his efforts alone. His Pokemon were there with him every step of the way, and he also had Leaf by his side, too. Together, perhaps they could overcome anything.

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**Author's Notes**

I'd like to make a huge apology to you all. I said that I'd try to get this chapter up by the end of February, but time flew past me, and we're already partway into March! Changes kept being made because the battle with Misty was a difficult one to write, considering that I wanted both her and Red to actually make use of their surroundings. That was kinda there back when Red fought Brock (Pikachu hiding behind the stalagmites), but I think the pool was a key component of this battle.

Given that Misty's most popular for her anime incarnation, I decided to throw in her 'I choose you' line as a reference (although a lot of you may have guessed that already!). Even though I didn't grow up during the first five seasons of the anime, I did catch a good amount of the rerun episodes. Back then, she had an interesting dynamic with Ash, and I remember being fond of her relationship with her sisters. However, when Togepi hatched out of that egg, I feel that Misty's character revolved more around her bond with the baby Pokemon, which wasn't as interesting in my opinion.

As for Ash's other female partners, I didn't like May too much at first, but she definitely matured over the course of her stay in the anime. Now, whenever I think of Pokemon Contests, I think of May and her Pokemon's dazzling performances! Despite this, she had a tendency to rely on luck during some of her battles, so I felt that those victories weren't nearly as satisfying as they could have been.

My favorite of Ash's female companions has to be Dawn. She started off very confident, while May wasn't so sure of what she wanted to do at the beginning of her journey. They both grew and changed for the better, but why do I prefer Dawn? She got more episodes focused around her, so we saw more of her character development. She also got along with Ash the most. I loved how supportive they were of each other and how Dawn was like Ash, but had her own differences. She trained with her Pokemon really hard to prepare for the next Contest, which shows just how determined she was to achieve her dream. But I'll admit that there was a lot more emphasis on Piplup and maybe Mamoswine outside Contests, so her other Pokemon were considerably less developed. A shame, considering that they could have complemented Dawn's personality very well!

Unfortunately, I didn't like Iris too much. She came off as hypocritical when she scolded Ash for his mistakes early on, before making similar mistakes herself, and she was rather cocky. Not that other characters in the anime weren't cocky at any point, but I don't remember Iris learning from it or getting as much character development. However, I do like that she's more athletic than the others. She also has an Excadrill and a Dragonite. Bonus points for using those awesome Pokemon!

Finally, there's Serena. She's sweet, she can bake and she has a crush on Ash. Oh, the writers won't let you forget that last one! It was her defining character trait for the longest time, before she became more serious about Pokemon Performing. Outside that, she doesn't have too much going for her. Even though she got some development when she took part in her first Showcase, it took so long to get there, some might see it as forced. Overall, I don't have much to dislike about Serena, but at the same time, she doesn't really stand out to me.

So, that's my stance on all of Ash's female partners so far. I wrote a lot more about them than I did with the male companions back in Chapter 6, simply because I had more to say. Perhaps in the future, I'll go into more detail about my views on Brock, Cilan and Clemont. With that done, let's go on one more tangent before closing off. Fitting for a chapter featuring the Water type Gym Leader, I'd like to talk about my favorite Water type Pokemon: Lapras!

Its design is so serene and lovable, evident in Ken Sugimori's FR/LG artwork. It itself is such a sweet Pokemon, since it enjoys carrying people across bodies of water. It helps that it looks like a comfortable ride. I don't know about you, but if Pokemon were real, my dream would definitely be to ride a Lapras! Its typing, movepool and balanced stats (not to mention its amazing HP) make it a dream to use ingame, although it suffers competitively because other Pokemon perform certain roles a lot better.

But what about you guys? What's your favorite Water type Pokemon and why?

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**-Have a great day, week, month, whatever, and stay upbeat, y'all!-**


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